Wheaton Poised to Receive Plan for Downtown Upgrades

More needs to be done to promote Wheaton’s downtown as a destination point focused on retailer and residents in the coming years, according to a report headed to the City Council on Monday, the Daily Herald reports.

The $64 million Wheaton Downtown Strategic and Streetscape Plan states that downtown Wheaton has both the space and the infrastructure to allow growth in its central business district, but the population forecast sees no boom in the city’s immediate future.

Over the coming 20 years, the market study projects that the downtown, largely south of the Union Pacific tracks, potentially could increase retail space by 80,000 square feet; office space by 50,000 to 75,000 square feet; and about 1,000 residential units.

City Manager Don Rose told the Daily Herald that if the city’s population remains relatively stable, the city would have to draw in nonresidents to help support the growth by making the downtown a destination for retail and residents.

• More details about the report can be found in the Daily Herald.

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