Politics & Government

New Downtown Wheaton Plan Features 'Festival Streets' and More

Under the new plan, various cosmetic and functional improvements would gradually be implemented into the downtown, including a particular focus on specific street blocks.

The newest edition of the Downtown Wheaton Plan was unveiled at a community meeting on May 30 and features a variety of improvements for “unifying” the Wheaton downtown, including street improvements, lighting installation, parking expansion and new greenery, the Suburban Life reports.

According to the paper, particular attention was paid to the “festival streets” proposal of plan creators Design Workshop, which would add a variety of plantings, artwork and other decor and amenities to several specific downtown streets, including Liberty Drive between Hale and Cross; the streets would then be used for major Wheaton events.

"For Liberty, we want to create more of a front door to downtown Wheaton," the paper quoted Design Workshop Associate Britt Palmberg saying. "The idea being we would have a lot more folks coming into Wheaton and this would be their first chance at seeing downtown Wheaton from the south."

One resident offered concern over whether or not the plan would in fact draw new businesses; another, Jan Kay, said that, “I was just thinking about all these plans, and boy, if I saw that  [Liberty Drive], I'd think 'I'll-be-darned, that town has come to life,” the paper reports.

Residents can take a City of Wheaton survey on the downtown plan here.

Read the full story at the Suburban Life website.


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