HomeProgress-Index, 02/23/2007
Readying for R/UDAT Tour gives Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team members a look at what Petersburg has to offer
By F.M. Wiggins, Staff Writer
PETERSBURG — Three members of the American Institute of Architects who will head up the city’s Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team toured Petersburg and some of the surrounding area Thursday.
Designated team leader Jane Jenkins, architectural consultant Charles Zucker and Erin Simmons made the trip to the city a month ahead of when they will be back for an intensive four-day process of designing a strategic plan for the community.
“The city really has some exceptional buildings,” Jenkins said after a two-hour driving tour. “When I look, it really makes me wonder at times what was here before the tornado or some of the other events that have taken buildings.”
But Jenkins said that after more than 24 hours in town she had determined that the community’s best resource was the number of dedicated people.
“There are a lot of people here who genuinely are concerned about their community,” Jenkins said.
Zucker, who has already made several trips to the city over the past year in preparation for the R/UDAT process, said that the tour Thursday left him with the impression that the city is absolutely beautiful.
“It also has a lot of potential,” Simmons said.
Zucker added that he is always amazed at how much of the city’s historical “fabric” is still intact.
“There’s still an actual downtown,” Zucker said. “It really should be the center of public business and commerce.”
Zucker added that he was also impressed by the city’s extraordinary history.
Simmons said that it is rare that cities have as much of their original or historical downtown intact.
The R/UDAT team will consist of seven national experts chosen by the American Institute of Architects in consultation with the local R/UDAT steering committee. Team members will serve without compensation and will address specific issues in Petersburg related to economic development, transportation, the harbor and waterfront development.
The R/UDAT steering committee is in the process of setting the agenda for the March visit. The committee is planning to schedule meetings with key individuals throughout the city, and to also leave room for social time so the public will be free to stop in and meet Jenkins, and learn more about the R/UDAT process and how it can help the city.
The R/UDAT process in Petersburg began a little more than a year ago when more than 300 residents attended the first Downtown Petersburg Inc. meeting in January 2006.
• F.M. Wiggins may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 254 or fwiggins@progress-index.com.
