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Plan to revitalize city a ‘work in progress’

Group seeks community input, will hold a forum next week.

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 12:10 AM Friday, October 23, 2009

MIDDLETOWN — While previous plans to revitalize downtown Middletown have failed, “there’s no excuse not to try again,” said Kelly Cowan, former Miami University Middletown dean.

Cowan, who is directing an effort to develop a Community Building Institute in the city, facilitated a meeting Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Manchester Inn and Conference Center, to give about a dozen community stakeholders an overview of the latest downtown redevelopment plan.

Brad Schwab, a consultant with Woolpert Inc., said the principles of the plan was to consolidate the downtown’s districts, build a strong residential presence, make downtown friendly to pedestrians and functional for automobiles, leverage civic assets, create a welcoming downtown, and establish Middletown’s rail station on Ohio’s 3C passenger rail service initiative.

While the plan has the rail station in mind, Schwab said the focus will be to develop the Downtown Core District on Central Avenue, between Water and Clinton streets, where public and private investment will be directed to first.

“This is still a work in progress,” Schwab said. “The plan is a policy and it needs to be flexible and it needs to be strategic.”

It may be “a work in progress” but community input will be sought in the coming weeks.

Cowan said there will be two public forums — the first on Wednesday, Oct. 28, and Nov. 5 at MUM to collect community input on the proposed plan. In addition, Cowan said an e-mail address has been set up for people to send in their comments to mumcbi@muohio.edu.

Cowan said the Community Building Institute is the next step of MUM’s involvement in the community to provide professional support for community and neighborhood initiatives as well as help identify goals and ensures plans are implemented.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or erichter@coxohio.com.

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