East Lake Norman News

Town of Huntersville issued the following announcement on Aug. 5. 

Earlier today, the Town issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an updated Downtown Master Plan to be completed in 2022.

Huntersville last adopted a Downtown Master Plan in 2006, which led to several successful implementation activities but is in need of an update. More recently, the Huntersville 2040 Community Plan and Appendix, adopted in late 2020, responded to community consensus that Downtown improvements continue to be supported and established broader policies and goals that will guide the formation of the 2022 Downtown Plan. Other projects are underway, such as the Downtown Main Street Upgrades, the Downtown Greenway, and design of a New Town Center. Downtown Huntersville will also be significantly impacted by NCDOT-led roadway projects, both in the downtown and nearby.

The emphasis of the 2022 Downtown Plan should be to develop a set of sequenced and prioritized actions needed to build on past and current improvements. The Plan should communicate an updated vision of the Downtown, identify the infrastructure capacity needed to support the vision, and describe the actions needed to get there. Transportation will be a key element in developing the type of streetscape needed to support Downtown activities and will be a determining factor in deciding how the ‘public realm’ will influence private development. The Plan should also contain acceptable ways to coordinate public actions with private investment and redevelopment/reuse decisions that help to realize a robust and attractive downtown, including convincing rational to support putting ‘skin in the game.’ A development strategy that also respects the integrity of neighborhoods that surround the Downtown is a topic that will require careful attention in the Plan.

Consultant firms or teams interested in responding to the Huntersville 2022 Downtown Plan RFP will likely need to engage the following types of expertise: Urban Design, Planning, Multi-Modal Transportation Planning, Economic Development, and Community Engagement. The estimated project budget for the Plan is not to exceed $150,000.

Those interested are encouraged to review the full RFP online at: https://www.huntersville.org/bids.aspx?bidID=85. 

 Original source can be found here.