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462 <br /> <br />Dr. Brown said there will be ample opportunity for input from Ms. Hamilton. <br /> <br />Councilors discussed the recommendations individually. <br /> <br /> Complete streetscape improvements on the following streets as planned: 3rd <br />Street East, 2nd Street East, 2nd Street West Mall crossing, and 5th Street East <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said we should consider what we can do to all the side streets to make <br />it apparent they are part of the Downtown Mall. <br /> <br /> Mr. Tolbert said that a "way finding" plan is being worked on and a designer will <br />be taking this to the next level, hopefully by early spring or summer at the latest. <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said that the original agreement regarding the 2nd Street mall crossing <br />was for the owner of the movie theater to pay half of the cost, and he asked if we should <br />go back to them to share in these expenses. <br /> <br />Staff was asked to check on the agreement regarding the mall crossing. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown asked for the timeframe and sequencing given other recent and current <br />construction projects downtown. <br /> <br /> Mr. Tolbert said that the desire is to do 3rd Street as soon as possible or at the end <br />of the Paramount's season. He said work on 2nd Street East is dependent on what <br />happens with the Boxer Learning building, but this project should be ready to go to bid in <br />two to three months. He said downtown merchants have asked that work on the 2nd <br />Street Mall crossing not be done until early in 2007. He said if Council decides to have a <br />Mall crossing at 5th Street, design work could start as soon as possible. <br /> <br />Mr. Lynch said he would like to see way finding done first. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown said he supports doing these improvements in a sequential fashion and <br />supports moving forward. <br /> <br />Mr. Caravati supported the recommendations. <br /> <br /> Mr. Schilling said there are a lot of worthy projects, but he cannot help juxtapose <br />these with the need for sidewalk and street maintenance and other unmet needs as <br />recently presented to Council. He questioned why we are building something new when <br />we cannot fix what we have. He said there are also stormwater needs. He said he is not <br />sure this is the time to move forward with anything that is not needed. He said there are <br />also cost overruns on the Transit Center and he is hesitant to go forward with other <br />projects. He said he would support moving funds for these projects into sidewalks, <br />streets, parks, and stormwater improvements. <br /> <br /> Engage a local (Virginia) engineering firm to complete mall infrastructure/brick <br />replacement program construction documents following WRT designs <br /> <br /> Mr. Lynch said he thinks it makes sense to do one interior section on the Mall, <br />starting where we think the substrate bricks are the worst. He said this would give us a <br />better sense of what the actual cost will be. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown asked if it makes sense logically to do the brick replacement from the <br />east end to the west end of the Mall. <br /> <br /> Mr. Tolbert said he does not think it really matters as long as we have a plan. He <br />said the conditions will likely govern how the replacement is done. <br /> <br /> Dr. Brown said that while Mr. Schilling makes a good point about unmet needs, <br />he feels strongly that the Downtown Mall is the economic engine that drives the City and <br />is a destination for tourist dollars. He said it is important to have a plan to keep the Mall <br />an exciting place. He said we need a plan to replace the bricks. <br /> <br /> <br />