7.4. EDSR 12-21-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES EDA STRATEGIC PLAN 21 8. DOWNTOWN ELK RIVER Downtown Elk River is a traditional storefront business district that has retained its integrity and architectural character. Building facades have been by and large maintained, and the district has been enhanced by new public space connecting it to the Mississippi riverfront. As an event and civic gathering place it makes a really important contribution to Elk River’s quality of life. As a location for new development, the City’s vision is less clear. There is developer interest in Downtown Elk River, as one of the premier addresses in the City. But there seem to be different views about the desirability and character of additional development downtown. And there are valid concerns about impacts to downtown related to traffic congestion and the availability of parking. The plan for Downtown Elk River is called Mississippi Connections Redevelopment Framework (Mississippi Connections). It was adopted in 2012. Mississippi Connections captures the City's hopes and goals related to the downtown area, and set the stage for some important implementation actions. However, it does not provide guidance for key aspects of downtown Elk River’s future. It doesn’t identify development opportunity sites, or provide the traffic and parking analysis that would address community concerns proactively so as to take the burden of analysis off of individual developers. Our experience has led us to value new development in the areas in and around traditional storefront districts because of the vibrancy they add, the activation of street life, and the economic support they provide to downtown businesses. Perhaps the business district will continue to thrive based primarily on destination customers. But it is an uncertain time for retail businesses and restaurants. And the addition of housing density in walking distance of downtown businesses would add an important additional pedestrian-oriented submarket for local businesses. We believe that additional opportunities for development in and near downtown Elk River exist, and such development would add vibrancy to the downtown area. Having said that, there certainly are reasons to be cautious about new development in and near downtown Elk River. Done poorly, new downtown development could fail to activate