Brick by Brick
Changes will bring downtown more business, people
Published April 21, 2006
It's known as downtown, "The District" or the place to shop within walking distance of campus.
The Historic Preservation Commission, the Avenue of the Columns Committee and the Special Business District are working on independent projects to bring more business to Columbia's center.
Bringing back the brick
One of the major renovations would be to remove the pavement on Eighth Street and to replace it with brick.
The Historic Preservation Commission is working to change a city revitalization master plan to include the brick streets. A consultant hired by the city to make suggestions about how to bring new business to the area created the plan, which was finalized on April 11, 2005, and focuses on Eighth Street renovations.
"They're planning to beautify, and they've got some really nice plans drawn up for that area," said Mary Kaye Doyle, vice chairwoman of the Historic Preservation Commission. "We thought exposing the bricks would add to that."
Director of Public Works John Glascock said re-exposing the bricks probably would not be viable for the city.
"It would be quite expensive," Glascock said. "You'd actually have to take up the old one and put down a new one. It's been covered up a long time."
Glascock said parts of Cherry Street and Fifth Street are already brick instead of pavement. He said he did not know if there are safety concerns with brick streets.
Doyle said though she did not know how much it would cost to replace the street, she thinks maintenance and other costs would be lower with brick streets.
"There will be costs associated with it, but when you bring that brick street back up to be used, the maintenance costs go way, way down," she said. "And we are told by people at the streets department that those streets can last as long as a 100 years."
Another commissioner on the Historic Preservation Commission, Brent Gardner, said he attempted to address some concerns with brick streets.
"Pavement is smoother, but it seems there is a trend to go back to the brick streets," he said. "The initial costs are more than paving, but there is no maintenance, so it is cheaper in the long run."
Gardner said it would make economic sense because people like shopping where there are brick streets.
"Economically and aesthetically, it makes more sense, and sets it apart from the mall," he said.
Revitalizing Eighth Street
The Avenue of the Columns Committee is working with the city on a plan to revitalize the area along Eighth Street, which is also known as the Avenue of the Columns. The street runs from the Boone County Courthouse to MU's entrance between Peace Park and the School of Journalism.
Shelley Simon, the chairwoman of the streetscape team in the Avenue of the Columns Committee, said she wants to make the street more pedestrian and vehicle friendly.
"Outside of an urban area, beautification of a space is called a landscape, but in an urban area, it's a streetscape," she said. "Things like lighting, paving, benches, planters. It's also more than that, taking in the design of the street, the opportunity for artwork and sculptures, and ideas for outdoor seating and cafés, balancing pedestrian with vehicular areas."
Simon said the Avenue of the Columns Committee has a streetscape team to develop plans to beautify Eighth Street. The outreach team is working with local groups to educate the public on the plan and the economic tools needed to make the project viable. The economic team is working with a consultant to make sure the plan is financially viable.
"It is a public-private partnership committed to the enhancement of the economic vitality of our entire downtown," Simon said.
Removal of concrete canopies
Another downtown improvement is the removal of the concrete canopies that cover the sidewalks in front of buildings on Broadway.
John Ott, president of the Special Business District downtown, said the cost of removing the canopies is $150 per foot of canopy, and the building owners will cover the cost.
Most of the building owners have given Ott positive feedback in regard to paying for the canopies to come down, he said. This is the first effort to completely remove the canopies; some sections already have been removed.
"There have been some parties that have removed theirs, so what we're kind of left with are some odd sections," Ott said.
Ott said the removal will start in late May and run into June. The removal is being done by a local construction company, PC&E.
"I think one of the reasons is that if the canopies are removed, we can replace it with sidewalk improvements like trees, attractive lighting features, benches, and attract more people to The District," Ott said. "There are some streets where this has been done, and it's been a real boost for those streets. It would really improve the attractiveness of Broadway."
