Residents have spoken: Enhance downtown, but don’t change it

Words like “quaint, “special and “nice” are used to describe downtown Bradenton by many of those who responded to an online survey regarding a planned overhaul of the downtown area. But residents also used words like “stagnant” and “dated.”

What people want is a positive, vibrant, lively downtown, but the majority of those responding don’t want to lose the charm of Old Main Street. They just want it better.

Old Main Street will be the initial focus of the streetscaping project expected to get under construction some time in early 2018. A final design is expected by early fall.

“It’s designed to be implemented in a few streets downtown and expand across the entire (downtown) in the future,” said Mike Carter, steering committee chairman.

Kimley Horn and Associates was selected in March to coordinate and design the project. For the past six weeks, the agency has been heavily involved in the public input process and initiated the online survey, still ongoing at menti.com using the code 74 04 6. Thus far the response shows 76 percent of people come downtown for dining. Only 2 percent come for shopping, but the majority of respondents said they want more shopping opportunities.

Still, 88 percent also would like to see more “casual dining” opportunities and better walkability. High on the preferences are more shade, tree canopy expansion, improved lighting, street furniture and public art, all of which fall within the project goals.

The Old Main Street area has room for improvement, but the real challenges come when the project expands. As of now, there is not much encouragement for people along Old Main Street to move elsewhere downtown and on to the Village of the Arts.

Edward Dean, Kimley Horn landscape architect, said, “The focus area is the downtown core, but this is where we lay the groundwork for what we see being replicated throughout (downtown.)”

That’s where the project will focus next, but it’s still too early to know when that will happen. Kimley Horn must complete the final design before a budget can be provided. Carter said the goal to expand the project will depend on what the city is willing to spend.

“But the city has said several times, to do it right and to do it best, period,” Carter said.

This story was originally published May 23, 2017 at 1:37 PM with the headline "Residents have spoken: Enhance downtown, but don’t change it."