The Ypsilanti Courier
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Residents attend final Blueprints meeting
By Christine Laughren, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 13, 2008
HyattPalma returned to Ypsilanti Monday evening to give their final presentation for the city's Downtown Blueprint.
Advertisement
The nearly two-hour presentation was given at the Riverside Arts Center. Approximately 100 people were in attendance.
Doyle Hyett and Dolores Palma created a five-year strategic plan for the downtown area as part of Michigan's Cool Cities Blueprints initiative.
The $50,000 study is funded by a 50/50 match grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority Ypsilanti's DDA.
HyettPalma, a national consulting firm specializing in the economic enhancement of downtowns, visited Ypsilanti a couple weeks ago.
The husband and wife team met with community members, business owners and took a couple strolls through downtown to help them create guidelines for the community.
The guidelines outlined in the 138-page report give specifics on how the community can improve.
Hyett, co-founder and chairman of HyettPalma, said the biggest things the city needs to work on are marketing and business development.
"That's the hole in the donut that needs to be filled," he said.
Hyett said people should be kept up to date and know what is happening in the city through the media and the city's Web site. He also suggested the city posts signs to help visitors find their way around.
"If you don't know where downtown Ypsilanti is, you are never going to find it," he said. "We need to lead people by the hands like lost lambs, if you will."
As for business development, the report suggests the DDA Director assume the lead role in business retention, expansion and recruitment. The DDA should also be actively making efforts to recruit new businesses and retain existing businesses.
Encouraging businesses to increase their evening hours and outdoor seating as well as discouraging part-time businesses is another thing the Blueprint highlights.
Hyett said there is no place for part-time businesses in downtown Ypsilanti.
Although the Downtown Blueprint primarily focuses on business development and marketing initiatives, it also gives suggestions on ways the city could improve downtown to make it visually appealing.
Physical improvements include changes made to the streetscapes, such as replacing the street lights with pedestrian-scale lighting, new black trash receptacles on the sidewalks and keeping the flower planters full and well-maintained.
The report says the community can ensure the area makes a positive first impression to newcomers with small beatification efforts.
Hyett said business owners in the area should be sweeping, shoveling and picking up garbage in front of their building.
"If they don't, fine them," he said.
The Downtown Blueprints report gives a litany of recommendations for Ypsilanti and Hyett says he hopes the City Council will adopt it as the as the downtown element of its comprehensive plan.
In 1992 HyettPalma came to Ypsilanti to complete Ypsilanti's first Downtown enhancement strategy.
City Manager Ed Koryzno said it is great to have them back.
"It's wonderful when you can have consultants that were here 16 years ago," he said. "It's great to have that perspective."
Ypsilanti resident Lesley Chace said HyettPalma did a great job throughout the entire process.
"I like the fact that they recognize the new energy in town," she said.
To view the Ypsilanti Downtown Blueprint report in its entirety visit the DDA's Web site at ypsilantidda.org and click on the About section.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
TOP JOBS
