The revitalization action plan for Garner’s downtown is one step closer to completion as the Urban Collage team shared the results from the Oct. 19 public planning meeting last week. In the preliminary stages, designers offered the idea of opening up the downtown area from gateways at Montague Street and New Rand Road.

Garner residents gathered at the Garner Historic Auditorium Oct. 28 to learn about preliminary ideas that would better visibility of the downtown area from Hwy. 70.

“If you came tonight to see the final plan, you’re about two months early,” Associate Principal Eric Bosman from Urban Collage said.

The preliminary plan also split Garner into an arts and culture district, sports and recreation district and Town Center district.

The arts and culture district would be centered around the Garner Historic Auditorium on Garner Road.

“It’s sort of an island sitting out here in the middle,” Bosman said.

Garner could see restaurants nearby to keep event goers in the downtown for more than the show at the auditorium.

In the sports and recreation district, Bosman noted that Garner Baseball, Inc. is considering a move, which would allow the town to have several baseball fields in one location closer to Jones Sausage Road. The district could also be the home to softball and soccer fields and mountain biking trails. However, topography limits the design. There would only be room for seven to eight fields on the property.

In both of the Town Center district ideas presented to the group of nearly 40, the design team integrated the community-based vision of a Garner that is local, cozy and charming while still active with something for everyone.

The district, which Urban Collage determined runs from the current location of Garner Baseball, Inc. to New Rand Road, would be split into subsections to preserve and enhance the East side and develop the West side. The two would be connected with pedestrian paths.

In order to enhance Main Street, the plan might target better signage to give the historic downtown its own identity. Also, the plan might call for sidewalk enhancements like wider sidewalks with room for trees along the street.

Mayor Pro tem Buck Kennedy said Garner would like to use indirect encouragement to update buildings on Main Street. He said no one would be forced, but he doesn’t think any of the business owners and developers would want to be left behind from the revitalization project.

The train depot and caboose may also have a new home near Hwy. 70 to better visibility. There would also be an anchor, which could be a Town Hall, community center or YMCA in the district. Whether the green space or the anchor building would be the predominant feature of downtown seen from Hwy. 70 is yet to be determined.

However, Bosman said the green area could be used for seasonal events like the annual Christmas tree lighting or a farmers market.

Town Council member Gra Singleton was happy to see the plan’s progress.

“I think over time, it can be developed,” he said.

The action plan is expected to be finalized later this year and Urban Collage hopes to bring it before the Town Council in early January 2010.