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to local movement; at the same time the original street grid remains nearly intact, forming a strong pattern for managing traffic at a local level. Few ele- ments of Monticello's early architectural history stand out, but the overall pat- tern• of buildings along Broadway yield a sense of a distinct center for local business. Downtown still retains important civic facilities (City Hall, Post "/ Office and Library) — elements that are key to the revitalization effort. Monticello's downtown has problems, but some great opportunities exist as Th.-„,..;----iteptevt + • Local streets... • As conduits of movement, local streets are important to down- town. As the streets of down- r' town are planned, they must be , recognized as part of a local street system. Traffic management is Downtown is surrounded by well-established neighborhoods;a-eating connections between downtown and these neighbor- critical, but the character of the hoods will be vital for the future of downtown. streets must be related to the • community. Street names might Monticello as a community is also typical of cities within the sphere of influ- be a good starting point — ence of larger metropolitan areas. It has grown in land area as its population Broadway, not County Highway has grown, and has in ways come to look more like a suburb than a 75; Pine Street, not State many Y Highway 25. small town. New neighborhoods have grown in locations that are fairly distant from downtown, with many of the newest homes separated from downtown by an interstate highway. Connections between downtown and other areas of Monticello will become critical as new housing is developed farther from its • center. --7.77°-"'"="7'1'7711C- 9 at T i ' -� o e fia itw "> � `$, t : , s,,t, rV', v K .t9` .' 'i�l. trz-''-i -. 1.1.-,,* .+Pwry . �� "y • r -- •- - ' r y4 % ..,.. > 4 I >r . ti eta 4,11 � lifadit 23,. ,tet te. 4"c. • (,fi-s_.a ,,,ti-.., f_fi 7 0 1• Y" J Many communities have lost their downtowns as the suburbs expand;Monticello's downtown will be critical!to defining Nearby shopping... this community as a small town rather than a suburb. • The activities of nearby shopping If Monticello considers the emerging patterns of housing and industry, it will areas might have been located in downtown in the past, but they be its downtown that signals its place as a small town rather than another Twin now function better in a different Cities suburb. For example, compare Monticello's character as a community setting. They serve the communi- to places like Chaska or White Bear Lake. Both have significant natural fea- ty on a daily basis, providing goods and services that are much tures to draw on, both are easily within commuting distance of a major city, needed. The key is to balance both are growing rapidly in their population, and both have vital downtown what happens in these areas with areas. These communities are desirable places to live, in part because their new uses in downtown, and cre- ate strong connections between downtowns make them more like a town than a suburb. these areas and downtown. One of the best signals of the health of a downtown is the health of the neigh- borhoods that surround it. In Monticello, the boundary between downtown and its neighborhoods is evident, and, with a few exceptions, the neighbor- - - A New Bridge �'' • Revitalizing Monticello's Downtown and Riverton'.- Page 1:11