The City of Waynesboro and Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc. are jointly sponsoring a Downtown Design Workshop on Oct. 25-26.
The workshop is being conducted by Frazier Associates, Architects and Community Planners. In an effort to directly engage the downtown business community, the workshop is being held in the heart of the business district at 329 W. Main St. (the Blue Ridge Christian Fellowship building).
The overall goal of the workshop is to begin developing a revitalization program for Downtown Waynesboro. The two-day, on-site workshop will allow the general public to observe the design work in process and offer comments and input to the design team.
The workshop will conclude with a community meeting on the evening on Oct. 26, and seek to engage a broad cross section of downtown community. This will include business owners, property owners and citizens who have fundamental knowledge of the study area, the local historic and cultural environment, and the overall local economy. The goal of these forums is to learn strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges that exist in Waynesboro, as well as develop initial design concepts and field drawings. Design options from other comparable communities will be used to spur ideas for what might be appropriate for Waynesboro.
A major focus of the workshop will be to begin outreach with downtown property owners on an expanded Facade Program for Waynesboro. In consultation with property owners, Frazier architects will be preparing facade schematics and preliminary building use evaluations for selected buildings in the core downtown district. Streetscape and public site designs will also developed for selected target areas in the downtown district, including public parking lots, the downtown riverfront and Constitution Park.
The design workshop is being funded through a $35,000 Planning Grant awarded to the City under Virginia’s Community Development Block Grant Program. CDBG funds to implement the improvements will be applied for in spring 2011, with a potential award of $700,000 or more.
Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at [email protected].
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