Mix of residential, commercial seen as strength of downtown

Community leaders cite parking and noise as challenges.

The large amount of private investment in downtown Rome in recent years, the diverse commercial and residential growth of the Broad Street corridor and the overall ambience of downtown Rome were among the major pros of the downtown corridor identified by community leaders Thursday. Parking, as always, impact of noise primarily affecting residents, and improved safety were among the concerns expressed by the group at the annual Downtown Development Authority annual planning session.

River City Bank President Roger Smith said he was pleased to see the emphasis on the West Third StreetNorth Fifth Avenue “River District.”

“It’s a changing place over here,” Smith said.

His bank at one end of West Third Street anchors the district which includes historic Barron Stadium, the Downtown Tennis Center, a new Courtyard by Marriott that is expected to be open before the end of the year, and several new businesses in the area of the intersection with Fifth Avenue.

“We had a great discussion with all the right stakeholders there,” said DDA Chairman Steven McDowell, owner of Old Havana Cigar Co., 327 Broad St. He said one of the big objectives for the authority moving forward involves the improvement of infrastructure and a streetscape in the “River District.”

“Anything we can do to make it cohesive with what we already have on Broad Street downtown we’re going to be hot on the city’s heels about getting that done,” McDowell said. “If we ever want private enterprise to come in and invest on that side of the river, we’re going to have to lay the ground work for that. To me that’s a minimal investment for a great return.”

Other areas the community leaders expressed an interest in included more public art, improved “You are here’ type of signage to help visitors know exactly where things are located downtown, and enhanced access to the rivers in the immediate downtown area.

The group did not specifically prioritize or set specific timetables for achieving any of the objectives.

Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune Community leaders gather at River City Bank on Thursday to help identify strengths and weaknesses of downtown Rome. Parking, as usual, was identified as an area for improvement.