River District vision emerging
Rome has $100,000 budgeted for streetscape improvements this year.
With the 124-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel on West Third Street on track for a July opening, the Rome City Commission is mulling its next move in the district across the Oostanaula River from downtown.
“We don’t know what will happen on the other parcels, but we do know that you’ve got a lot of momentum,” City Manager Sammy Rich told commissioners in asking for an overall vision.
The city has about $100,000 budgeted for improvements this year in what is being called the River District. The area includes the Fifth Avenue corridor and could extend out to Turner McCall Boulevard one day.
Rich and Public Services Manager Kirk Milam have been examining options along with Historic Preservation Planner Bryan King, who drew up a sketch showing a possible future.
“Strategic public investment will attract private investment. We’ve seen that on Broad Street,” Rich said.
Several antique shops and The Foundry growler pub have sprung up on Fifth Avenue in recent months and developers are eyeing a portion of Avenue A that was removed from historic district restrictions. Milam said the downtown streetscape project led to a new generation of business owners willing to tax themselves — through a Business Improvement District surcharge — to keep the revitalization going. What the city does in the River District will set the stage for redevelopment there, he noted.
“It will change,” he said. “You’d better not ignore it because it will change. But you can control it.”
The long-range proposal includes sidewalk improvements, crosswalks, angled parking and landscaping. Decorative pavers or cobblestones at the intersections, a marked gateway to the trail system and possibly a roundabout would set a certain tone.
“So as you walk or drive, it has a very distinct feel, like you’re in a different place,” Rich said.
City commissioners expressed enthusiasm for the potential of the district, with several talking about encouraging more arts and specialty businesses and entertainment venues. However, Commissioner Craig McDaniel said private investors would be more likely to commit to the district once the city has plans for its property on West Third.
Rome owns a 2.1-acre lot next to the Marriott and across from the remodeled Barron Stadium and Downtown Tennis Center. A call for development proposals netted two offers to build hotels on the site, which were rejected in January.