How to offer your opinion on Wheaton's downtown plans
Wheaton residents who want to offer their opinions on what the city's downtown should look like in years to come are encouraged to attend a meeting next week to review updated plans for the area's redevelopment.
The meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, at city hall, 303 W. Wesley St., will begin with a presentation from Design Workshop, the landscape architecture firm assisting the city with implementing parts of the city's downtown strategic and streetscape plan.
The plan, approved in 2014, originally included about $64 million in projects that could take up to 20 years to complete.
"When we adopted the plan, there was a strong interest at that time to begin the work on the south side of the tracks," said Jim Kozik, the city's director of planning.
That work includes the construction of a permanent French Market structure, a new plaza and converting Liberty Drive into a "festival street."
Attendees at next week's meeting will have a chance to see updated renderings of those projects and review color palette and construction material options.
"I would certainly encourage people to come so they're aware what's going on," Kozik said. "It's an opportunity for them to offer their thoughts and feedback on where the project is."
After feedback is gathered at the meeting, the city still has to continue working with the county, private property owners and businesses to get final approvals to move forward and the council also has to decide how much to spend on the work. The hope, Kozik said, is to start construction next year.
Residents who can't attend Wednesday's meeting are encouraged to fill out an online survey that will be available on the city's website after the meeting.