Gateway Historic Canal District Revitalization Plan
Here is one city reference, Central Industrial Corridor ReVITALization Plan - City of Utica (Brownfield Opportunity Area, Pre-Nomination Study Draft #5, January 2014 (PDF). Also The Utica Industrial Corridor ReVITALization Plan.
October 12, 2008 -We read in, Many plans but progress slow at city’s gateway...
"The oldest section of the city, Utica’s Gateway District serves as an access point to downtown Utica and the North Country, Sullivan said. It stretches from the Utica Memorial Auditorium on the west to the Boehlert Center at Union Station on the east. And it goes from about Lafayette Street on the south to Water Street — which is a block past Whitesboro Street — on the north, Sullivan said."
"Funding in recent years was spent on the demolition of the former Washington Courts housing complex and to create a Police Campus with more parking and facilities on Oriskany Street West."
"Now, the freshly paved streets and new, sharp-edged curbs upgraded this year in sections of the district look almost out of place against the backdrop of old, brick buildings with cracked windows. Any businesses remaining in the district are surrounded by vacant buildings left behind by a society that has moved on from Utica’s industrial past."
"But Utica Mayor David Roefaro said infrastructure upgrades show people that the city is willing to invest in an area that can cultivate private businesses."
"The current condition of the buildings won’t be a problem, the mayor said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a challenge,” he said. “People are waiting to do things down there.”
City of Utica Gateway Historic Canal District
Goals and Objectives
(Three pages from City Hall's Gateway Plan "Goals & Objectives"...)
Improve the marketability of urban land within the Gateway area:
o Initiate municipal projects that will encourage the “recycling" of surrounding lands and buildings and establish "value added land”
o Establish a system of public space, including parks and walking trails, that will add to the redevelopment potential of surrounding lands and buildings
Encourage a full range of land uses within the Gateway area:
o Allow buildings and sites to accommodate a combination of land uses that may include commercial, light industrial, residential, retail and live/work space
o Develop a living environment that offers the amenities to compete with suburban neighborhoods within a unique physical space
o Develop a working environment that offers the amenities to compete with a traditional business park or high tech facility within a unique physical space
o Develop a retail environment that serves the unique needs of both residents , workers and visitors
City of Utica Gateway Revitalization Project
/ Goals and Objectives
1
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Allow the market to determine the proportions of land uses that will shape the future of the Gateway area:
o Allow and encourage the study area to evolve with the passage of time
o Initiate land and building controls that are not constrained by traditional, restrictive zoning code
o Facilitate future growth and development while limiting public investment that could compromise economic sustainability
Engage local institutions and encourage their participation in the land development process:
o Encourage the integration of Facilities Plans from higher educational institutions into the Gateway area
o Build on the strengths of existing institutions in the Gateway area by integrating their future expansion plans
Establish a circulation plan that facilitates economic growth in the Gateway area:
o Realign traffic patterns to establish a physical connection with the surrounding City
o Establish north-south connections to complement existing east-west connections
o Consider the future needs of pedestrians and cyclists as part of an overall circulation plan
o Establish a connection between the Gateway area and future waterfront development
City of Utica Gateway Revitalization Project
/ Goals and Objectives
2
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Promote local and regional tourism by building on the existing strengths of the Gateway area:
o Explore design, development and funding opportunities for the Erie Canal
o Capitalize on the unique history of the Gateway area as tourist attractions are developed
o Consider expanding and enhancing Memorial Arena to serve both residents and tourists
o Work in cooperation with existing cultural institutions in the Gateway area
o Program the Gateway area with unique retail amenities that will attract visitors
City of Utica Gateway Revitalization Project
/ Goals and Objectives
3
We're not opposed to a new hospital, just do not bulldoze Downtown Utica's Historic Columbia-Lafayette Neighborhood... "Build It At St. Luke's!"