Developers outline riverfront plans
By Rebekah Nicodemus
Staff writer
The first in a series of three Phenix City Riverfront/Downtown Masterplanning Workshops drew a small crowd to Chattahoochee Valley Community College Thursday night.
The meeting featured a presentation by Boulevard Group, the urban development company that is creating a redevelopment plan for the area. Representatives from the Boulevard Group outlined a series of goals for the project, and detailed their plans for achieving them.
Together with the East Alabama Riverfront Development Group (EARD), the Boulevard Group has designated four zoning districts in the downtown and riverfront areas. The districts are as follows: Dillingham Bridge, riverside housing and Broad St., Phenix Plaza, and the Riverview Apartments.
Jim Brooks, president of the Boulevard Group, noted a “strong need for hotel space” in the Columbus/Phenix City area, and recommendations for the Dillingham Bridge area include a 350-room hotel to accommodate this need.
The Boulevard Group believes that Broad St. should be reworked, with a planted median added. Their plans also include what they call “Riverside Lane,” a new street above the existing pedestrian Riverwalk, featuring lookout points. By reconfiguring the Broad St. and riverfront areas, Brooks hopes to “create an opportunity for pedestrians to feel comfortable and welcome,” which could benefit local businesses.
Plans for the Phenix Plaza district include expanding government buildings near the Russell County courthouse, redeveloping the Phenix Plaza shopping center, and possible expansion buildings for Chattahoochee Valley Community College and Troy State University.
The Boulevard Group proposes that the Riverview Apartments be torn down and replaced with a new, mixed-income housing development. They also hope to add a new riverfront park and senior housing to the area.
Community members raised questions at the meeting about redevelopment’s effects on traffic flow, fishing, and the residents of the Riverview Apartments.
As plans for redevelopment begin moving forward, the Boulevard Group will conduct a market study to obtain further information about the needs and desires of the Phenix City community. A Phenix City Redevelopment Authority will have the power to acquire land and issue bonds for the project.
The next Riverfront/Downtown Masterplanning Workshop will be held July 8 at 7 p.m., at Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
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Contact Rebekah Nicodemus at Rebekah@phenixcitizen.com