Inside the Comprehensive Plan: What Will Troy's Downtown Look Like?

American Structurepoint gives some ideas on what Downtown should look like

As American Structurepoint continues work on the city’s new Comprehensive Plan, the draft report has hit the city’s website. As part of the plan, American Structurepoint has spent considerable time providing vision and guidance for Troy’s downtown, which is not a surprise. Downtown is often cited as one of Troy’s most important and impressive assets and has always been an iconic part of our community.

The downtown portion of the city's new comprehensive plan, presents a comprehensive strategy for revitalizing and enhancing the downtown area. The plan builds upon Troy's existing strengths while addressing challenges and opportunities for future growth, with a focus on preserving the city's small-town character while encouraging economic development.

At the heart of the plan is the recognition that downtown Troy serves as the physical, cultural, and emotional epicenter of the community. Over the past twenty years, the downtown area has experienced a significant revitalization, sparked in part by a unique festival/concert event (remember the Gentlemen of the Road event) and by continuing support of organizations like Troy Main Street. This reinvigoration has cemented downtown Troy's place as a regional hub, contributing to the city's success in various areas, including cultural offerings, business attraction, community gatherings, and the development of a thriving local food scene.

The plan emphasizes the importance of place making, which refers to enhancing downtown through community-driven revitalization initiatives that embrace local values, historical context, cultural elements, and the surrounding natural environment. Troy has already made strides in this area, with public art installations, outdoor seating areas, and the implementation of a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA).

A key goal of the plan is to expand retail and business opportunities in downtown Troy. A retail gap analysis revealed potential for up to 190,565 square feet of new commercial space, even accounting for e-commerce trends. This presents significant opportunities for new businesses, particularly in clothing and accessories, health and personal care, and food services. The plan also recognizes the need to adapt to changing retail landscapes and the growing influence of e-commerce.

Improving housing options is another crucial objective. The plan proposes converting upper stories of existing buildings into residential units, addressing both housing demand and building vacancy issues. This aligns with the goal of creating a more vibrant, mixed-use downtown environment and responds to the community's expressed desire for more diverse housing options.

Enhancing public spaces and amenities is a central focus of the plan. It discusses improvements to key areas such as the Public Square and Prouty Plaza. While long-term pedestrianization is considered, the plan suggests interim strategies to enhance these areas without immediately removing parking, acknowledging the community's concerns about convenient parking availability.

Addressing parking concerns is a significant aspect of the plan. Recognizing parking as a key issue, the plan proposes innovative solutions such as improved wayfinding and a potential micro-transportation service to connect remote parking areas with the downtown core. This approach aims to make existing parking spots more accessible while exploring cost-effective alternatives to building new parking structures.

The plan's emphasis on preserving Troy's historic buildings and character while encouraging growth presents both opportunities and challenges. It could maintain the city's unique identity and attract heritage tourism, but may also pose challenges for new development and modernization efforts. The plan recommends creating a balance between preservation and growth through careful design guidelines and community input.

Community engagement and local identity are central themes in the plan. The emphasis on supporting local businesses and community events aligns with residents' expressed desire to maintain a close-knit community feel. This focus on community-driven development could strengthen Troy's sense of identity and foster greater civic engagement.

Implementation of the plan will require careful consideration of costs, funding sources, and project prioritization. Many of the proposed initiatives, such as building conversions, public space improvements, and transportation services, will require significant investment. The city will need to explore various funding options and potentially develop public-private partnerships to bring these plans to fruition.

Bringing It All Together

Troy's downtown development plan presents a thoughtful approach to revitalizing and enhancing the city's core. By building on existing strengths, addressing key challenges, and proposing innovative solutions, the plan has the potential to significantly improve the economic vitality and quality of life in Troy. However, successful implementation will require careful planning, community engagement, and adaptability to overcome potential challenges and ensure that the benefits of downtown development are shared equitably among all residents.

As Troy moves forward with this plan, it will be crucial to maintain flexibility, regularly reassess goals and strategies, and continue to engage with the community to ensure that the downtown area evolves in a way that meets the needs and aspirations of all Troy residents.

What Do You Think?

Issues like parking, retail development and housing were all put forward as having vital importance to our downtown. What do you think? How do you feel about these critical issues? Are there some issues that should be addressed that are not addressed? Our paid subscribers are more than welcome to leave their ideas and insights in the comment thread!

A New Way to Support This Work

Our readers and subscribers have been asking for a new way to support the work being done here at Civic Capacity! Some of our readers do not like the idea of having to sign up for another subscription service. Some of our subscribers occasionally want to give more support through a one-time transaction.

Civic Capacity is partnering with “Buy Me A Coffee” to give our readers, subscribers and friends an opportunity to give one-time support to Civic Capacity. Personally, I don’t like coffee, but I will never turn down a nice iced tea. If you feel compelled to support this effort, just click the button below.

Thanks for reading today’s Civic Capacity Newsletter! Please feel free to share this information with your friends and neighbors.

Also, please consider subscribing to our work. If you are a free subscriber, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. For less than $1 a week, you can get timely and conversational updates about the decisions that are impacting you and your community!