DDA: Put downtown River District on SPLOST
The extent of the work planned on the west side of the Oostanaula is yet to be determined.
The extent of the work planned on the west side of the Oostanaula is yet to be determined.
Rome’s Downtown Development Authority wants to include infrastructure work along West Third Street and North Fifth Avenue in the upcoming SPLOST package. Members of the authority and representatives from several DDA committees looked at conceptual art for the project during Thursday’s board meeting.
“This is a project the city is very interested in and we already have some capital funds budgeted (this year) to leverage some (of our plans),” said Assistant City Manager Patrick Eidson. Rome Public Services Director Kirk Milam said the city has $175,000 already set aside for work
in the area which has been dubbed the River District.
Planner Bryan King told the panel the design associated with the SPLOST proposal is more of a conversation starter and that nothing was set in stone. Plans show streetscape improvements on North Fifth Avenue out to Avenue A, and along West Third from North Fifth Avenue to North Second Avenue.
“As the growth moves to
the west side of the Oostanaula River the one thing that ties it together (with the Broad Street corridor) is the same look,” Milam said.
“It’s an extension of Broad Street, but it ought to have a different feel,” said downtown business owner Harry Brock. “We have to prioritize the pedestrian over (vehicular) traffic over there.”
The board discussed a desire to relocate utilities underground. Eidson said preliminary talks with Georgia Power engineers indicate that effort could easily exceed a million dollars.
During a special called meeting of the Rome City Commission late Thursday, officials revealed a $2,412,700 price tag for the River District work and commissioners agreed this is one project they didn’t want to cut corners on because of the impact it would have on setting the tone for redevelopment in the area.
Eidson said the final design will be predicated on the amount of money a possible SPLOST package would allocate. “It will be designed as if we are backing into a number,” Eidson said.
In other action, the DDA board approved the submission of a $170,000 Georgia Cities Foundation loan request on behalf of Tim and Molly Vicchrilli, owners of Pro Performance at 100 Broad St. The couple is renovating the second floor of the building for residential use.