HomeProgress-Index, 03/08/2006
Downtown Petersburg seeks role in city’s future, funds from council
F.M. Wiggins, Staff Writer
PETERSBURG - Residents of the city are getting involved in planning the city's future in many ways through Downtown Petersburg Inc.
The group, through two leaders. made a presentation to City Council last night during council's regular bi-weekly meeting.
Jim Wilson, president of Downtown Petersburg Inc., said that the Regional Urban Design Assistance Team, or RUDAT, is a complimentary program to the Main Street Program, which Downtown Petersburg Inc. is trying to get started.
Wilson requested $36,800 from the city for Downtown Petersburg Inc. and an additional $25,000 commitment to be made in July 2007.
Wilson added that the group would likely seek a continuous stream of funding for their initiatives.
“We feel there is an urgency that brings us here,” said Terry Ammons, a Petersburg business owner who is working with the Downtown Harbor Initiative, a part of Downtown Petersburg Inc. The goal of the Downtown Harbor Initiative is to see the successful redevelopment of the Petersburg harbor.
“This is a citizen project and we all want to see something happen,” said Ammons.
Ammons said the arts movement has breathed new life into the city and that civic leaders must seize the opportunity while it is before them.
“On Jan. 31 we had our first public meeting and 300 people showed up. They all wanted to see something happen. They came not to complain, but with smiles on their faces and to talk about what they would like to see happen in the city,” Ammons said.
From that meeting the RUDAT, was developed. The team was formed to allow citizens a chance to provide input in influencing the planning for the city with professional architects. Ammons said the approach has successfully been used before in other cities across the nation.
Ammons said the next six months will be used for planning input purposes. Following that, an intensive design process will begin which may last for five to seven days.
The product of the design process would be a planning document with a shared vision for the future of the city, particularly the downtown and harbor areas.
“The Main Street Program will unify the downtown and provide momentum to the Downtown Harbor Initiative,” said Wilson. He added that the program would also provide existing businesses the support they need to survive in the downtown area.
At the end of the presentation by Wilson and Ammons, nearly 100 supporters who had come out to the meeting gave the two a standing ovation and continued to applaud for nearly a full minute.
Councilman Kenneth Pritchett said during a comment period following the presentation that he would like to see if council can spearhead an initiative to work with Downtown Petersburg Inc.
“Let's see to it that the ball isn't dropped this time,” Pritchett said, adding that similar statements and ideas had been brought to Petersburg about 20 years ago.
* F.M. Wiggins may be reached at 732-3456, ext. 254.
