More residents show interest in riverfront development planning
By Rebekah Nicodemus
Staff Writer
The Phenix City Central Activity Center was standing room only as Doug Faust of the Boulevard Group began outlining plans for riverfront and downtown redevelopment Thursday evening.
“Phenix City should plan and be prepared for change,” Faust said.
Thursday’s meeting was the second in a series of three redevelopment masterplanning workshops sponsored by the East Alabama Riverfront Development group (EARD) and Phenix City. Faust guided the audience through proposed plans for Phenix City’s riverfront and downtown, then answered questions for those present.
The presentation featured a few changes to the plans that had been presented at the first workshop. Revisions included two- to three-story buildings, rather than three- to four-story buildings in the downtown area, and the substitution of a walking path for the previously proposed Riverside Drive. Faust explained that these revisions were because of continued market research.
The Riverview apartments, a source of some controversy in recent months, were a topic of discussion during both Faust’s presentation and the following question-and-answer session. Proposed redevelopment plans call for the apartments to be torn down and replaced with mixed-income housing. Eight of the units are newly renovated, and Faust said these units will remain standing, while the rest are demolished.
Faust assured the audience that the residents of Riverview had been invited to join the planing process at an early stage, and that relocation of Riverview residents would be completed in steps.
Faust stressed that programming would be the key to revitalization of the Riverview area. He suggested that the YMCA or the Boys and Girls Club could possibly provide programming for the existing recreation center in Riverview.
“What makes a space a great place is the programming,” he said. “Without the programming, it’s not a vibrant place.”
The question and answer session covered a wide range of topics. Handicapped accessibility to new buildings, the cost of the redevelopment process, environmental effects, and redevelopment’s effect on potential business owners were among the subjects discussed.
Sammy Howard, EARD director, said he was happy with the meeting’s attendance, which was considerably higher than at the first workshop. He pointed to increased publicity and a more convenient location as causes.
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Contact Rebekah Nicodemus at Rebekah@phenixcitizen.com