Huntingburg presented first look at Downtown Revitalization Plan
Huntingburg — Housing, business, parking and a 117-year-old water main were the focus of a downtown revitalization plan presented to the public for the first time Wednesday night.
Over 50 people attended a presentation from Development Concepts, Inc. outlining the future for creating a more vibrant downtown district that continues to impact the growth of Huntingburg.
This administration hit the ground running in 2012 with outreach to the community through a series of conversations that revealed areas of concerns for the residents. Catapulting from those conversations and Huntingburg’s uniqueness, the city has taken a close look at the comprehensive plan and began to update in 2013.
The city received a $40,000 planning grant from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs in September of 2013 to develop the plan for the downtown district that is defined by Van Buren and Geiger Streets and Third to Fifth Streets.
“We need to be authentic in our place. Our goal and vision is not to be like anyone else. We should not try to create something we are not,” Mayor Denny Spinner said in his opening remarks. “Our vision is to make Huntingburg the best Huntingburg we can be.”
Matt Rueff and Katie Wertz of Developmental Concepts, a firm based in Indianapolis, iterated that the presentation was a proposal and was designed to push the limits of what many would consider the norm for the area studied. Some items presented, like a proposal to increase sidewalk space to accommodate outside dining that included turning Fourth Street into a one-way street and adding diagonal parking, did raise a few questions but Rueff explained this was just a proposal.
An immediate concern for the the city is upgrading the water main underneath Fourth Street. After an explosive event in November that shot water over 20 feet in the air and shut down parts of the business district, the waterline originally installed in 1896 is due for upgrades.
Among the group’s more interesting suggestions was the development of a bed and breakfast cluster through cooperation with the city and local furniture manufacturers. Owners would coordinate marketing and management with downtown retailers and other businesses in Huntingburg.
A thread of common concern in Dubois County is the lack of housing. Development Concepts recommended incentivizing the development of housing in the downtown area their proposal encompasses as well as encouraging further development of residential units in the existing buildings on Fourth Street.
Another suggestion was to add employer supported housing. Local employers looking to attract talent could support those efforts through the development of better housing.
Attendees were supplied a handout that outlined the areas the team identified for improvements and at the end of the night the those attending were asked to fill out a card annotating items they felt needed addressed downtown.
Some Fourth Street business owners attending stated it was an interesting presentation and a good beginning for cultivating ideas about future growth.
“The turnout shows that there are people who are very passionate about downtown and they want to see improvement,” Mayor Spinner said remarked about the attendance.
Development Concepts, Inc worked with Commonwealth Engineers to prepare the document that will be added to the city’s comprehensive plan if approved by the common council.
A comment period is open over the next few weeks. Residents can call or email comments, questions and suggestions to Matt Rueff at mrueff@development-
The mayor stated he felt the plan could be on the docket for approval by the council in February.
