Status
The City created a focus group made up of 9 community members that met to discuss the prioritization of design elements of the Downtown's Next Step project. The focus group met with City staff twice, for a total of 3 hours at the end of July and beginning of August 2024. The group represented a variety of lived experiences, along with folks who noted in their application they were for the project, and as well as folks who were against. A summary of the feedback gleaned from the meetings can be found in the Document Library.
The City hosted a recent questionnaire regarding design elements in the preliminary design. There were over 700 responses to the questionnaire. A summary of the results can be found in the Document Library.
The City hosted a public meeting for the preliminary engineering design of Downtown's Next Step Phase 1 on March 14 with over 92 attendees. The meeting provided background information on the project, the preliminary design of the 600 and 700 blocks, and an open house style feedback session. Materials from the meeting are available below.
About the Project
About the Project
Durango's Downtown Main Avenue has gone through many changes since the 1880's. Through all of these changes, Downtown Durango has kept its Southwest charm with the sweeping views of Smelter Mountain, Perin's Peak, the Hogsback and the brick façade buildings. In more recent times, Downtown Durango has seen the need for increased outdoor space, expanded pedestrian zones, and slower speeds as the number of people downtown has increased and the world saw a global shift of people wanting to be outside more.
Pedestrian improvements to Downtown Main Avenue have been discussed in City plans for years, including the Multimodal Transportation Plan and Comprehensive Plan. These plans discuss the need for safety, accessibility, and greater pedestrian space downtown. In December 2021, a conceptual design and visioning process was started for Downtown Main Avenue. Through this community process, a conceptual design was created.
This project will survey and inventory Downtown Main Avenue from 5th Street to 14th Street, conduct a corridor traffic study, and design a few blocks based on the conceptual design. The conceptual design includes widening sidewalks, curb extensions at the intersections, additional trees, adding accessible parking spaces, bioswales for water quality, improving trolley stops, and improving curb ramps. These improvements will slow speeds, improve safety for all users, and make downtown Durango more accessible. This design phase will include 2 public meetings and online opportunities to provide feedback on the design.
Project design cost: $520,000 (Phase I)
Project funding: 2015 Half Cent Sales and Use Tax Fund
Vision Statement
The flexible and resilient Downtown Main Avenue streetscape strengthens the heart of Durango as a safe, inviting, and memorable place for all users that supports thriving businesses, fosters resident pride, and enhances the visitor experience.
FAQ
On August 27, 2024 the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business Improvement District, and Local First hosted a forum with a panel made up of City staff to answer questions from downtown business and property owners about the Downtown's Next Step project. You can find a list of the questions and answers linked here. Other frequently asked questions are listed below.
Conceptual Design
Downtown's Next Step Conceptual Design
In response to bump-outs and the Multimodal Advisory Board's prioritizing of Downtown Main Avenue for pedestrian improvements, the City's Community Development Department contracted with MIG to lead a conceptual design and visioning process for Downtown Main Avenue. The conceptual design process reinvigorates community conversations regarding the future of downtown, specifically along Main Avenue between 5th and 14th streets. During the conceptual design and visioning process, the City conducted a robust public outreach effort that included 19 meetings, 2 surveys that received 2,203 responses, and an online design review that received 58 comments. The final product from this process was a conceptual design, vision objectives, and a roadmap for redesigning Main Avenue.
