harmony –revitalization...

Initial RecommendationsHarmony – Revitalization Roadmap

Salt Lake City, UT ● Pittsburgh, PA ● Akron, [email protected]

Harmony – Revitalization Roadmap

Initial Recommendations

• What we witnessed • What we heard• Recommendations

• Built Environment• Community Character• Development• Community Capacity• Streetscape


Charting a course requires knowing your starting point

What We Witnessed❖ Existing

Conditions in Downtown

Akron, OH ● Pittsburgh, PA ● Salt Lake City, UT Twitter Facebook Salt Lake City, UT ● Pittsburgh, PA ● Akron, OH @DTRedevelopment.com

Built EnvironmentCurrently the architectural stock within the downtown is in acceptable or status-quo condition. Noted elements include:

• Outstanding historic building stock

• Contextually similar building stock

• Buildings that are kept up, or High/Tight/Dry

• Unique architectural characters for each building

• Diversified community building style


Community CharacterHarmony is a strong and prideful community, steeped in history, looking forward to the future. Notable community character elements include:

• Easily noticeable pride in community

• Easily identifiable style

• Improved quality of life due to small town atmosphere

• A strong sense of “communityness” connects everyone in the community


DevelopmentDespite the outstanding building stock throughout Harmony, the community has a lack of diversity in retail/services, stemming from a lack of development:

• Recently buildings have been renovated and updated as funding allows

• Building rental rates are at $16.13 per Sq Ft. Causing a slow uptake on rental properties and high entry cost for developers

• Available spaces are not currently being marketed

• Available spaces do not currently meet the need of local residents or businesses


Community CapacityThere is ample knowledge and resources available locally:

• Many local groups and agencies are operating independently within the community

• Lack of a centralized group focused on community preservation and revitalization

• Spaces are well utilized, on an infrequent basis

• Local residents are willing to volunteer


Poor Streetscape Conditions

Current Streetscapes conditions are in poor to acceptable conditions. Noted issues include:

• Spalling asphalt and concrete

• Unsafe ADA ramps and accessibility routes

• Missing landscape elements

• On-street parking is not always utilized

• Crosswalks are poorly spaced and not located in appropriate locations


Creating a chartable course will lead the way for implementation

What We Heard ❖ Comments from the public

Akron, OH ● Pittsburgh, PA ● Salt Lake City, UT Twitter Facebook Akron, OH ● Pittsburgh, PA ● Salt Lake City, UT Twitter Facebook Salt Lake City, UT ● Pittsburgh, PA ● Akron, OH @DTRedevelopment.com

What We Witnessed

The public was asked to participate in a comprehensive open house format meeting. The highlights from the meeting include:

❖ Improve facades, while increasing sustainability

❖ Provide a safer pedestrian environment

❖ Diversify the mixture of amenities or services in downtown buildings

❖ Incorporate increased civic spaces into the square area


What We Gathered

The public was also asked for feedback about the community. Gathered input included:

❖ A desire for more amenities in the downtown:

❖ Family Friendly Dining

❖ Natural Foods Store

❖ Convenience store

❖ An overall unsafe feeling on many sidewalks throughout the downtown core area

❖ A strong desire for a community gathering place


Understanding the needs of a community charts the course

Recommendations• Built Environment• Community Character• Development• Community Capacity• Streetscape


Built Environment

The built environment of Harmony is of acceptable to good condition. Recommendations to take it from good to great include:

v Creation of a strong set of Façade guidelines

❖ Installation of a yearly Façade program

❖ Creation of a Redevelopment Authority (RDA) or Community Revitalization Authority (CRA)

❖ Transparency in renovation and/or building adaptation process

❖ Create a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for all things development


Community Character

Harmony has an abundance of “character” within the community. Our recommendations to unite them to a singular character are:

❖ Collaborate agency and business calendars

❖ Partnering between agencies to promote and market events

❖ Personify the unique events of your community

❖ Creation of a vision/mission statement for downtown

❖ Preparation of a unified signage style

❖ Entrance signage at roadways


Development

Many of Harmony’s buildings are utilized, yet are not realizing their full potential. Options for further development include

❖ Diversification of uses to include:

❖ Natural foods store

❖ Convenience store

❖ Additional family friendly dining

❖ Creation of a detailed building space assessment

❖ Creation of due diligence reports

❖ Proactive marketing of businesses


Community Capacity

Harmony has many talented individuals, all vested in seeing the downtown revitalization process through completion. Recommendations to build capacity include:

❖ Creating a unified and stand-alone Main Street organization

❖ Creation of local resident groups for volunteering

❖ Local fundraising campaigns

❖ Create a more unified and programmed downtown with continual uses throughout the year


Streetscape

Harmony’s streetscape conditions are in acceptable to poor condition. Despite this, the municipality has recently been awarded funding to remedy this. Our recommendations include:

v Comprehensive streetscape renovations

v Installation of wider sidewalks

v Potential reduction of parking where not necessary

v Improve civic spaces within the downtown core

v Improve street lights within the downtown


Phase 1:

Improve the streetscape of the square, road remaining open

Add benches, trash cans and other amenities for extra comfort

Retain roadway access and encourage more temporary closures

Phase 2:

Slowly close the Main Street section for festivals and events

Evaluate closing off the Main Street corridor connectors to the square while retaining the Mercer St corridor

As needed add additional hardscape elements such as benches/tables, Christmas festival stalls, outdoor dining, fountains, etc; working toward a true German small town square feeling


Questions/CommentsNext Steps:

1. Creation of Draft Roadmap – 2 weeks2. Comment Period – 2 Weeks3. Adoption of Final Roadmap – 2 Weeks

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