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Greenwood approves downtown development and traffic studies

GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) – The city of Greenwood is moving forward with big plans to revitalize downtown.

Tuesday the redevelopment commission approved a series of surveys and studies during its meeting.

Back in January the city council adopted an extensive document called the Greenwood Revitalization Plan.

Tuesday, commissioners approved some of the first steps needed to put that plan into action.

The landscape of downtown Greenwood could see some major changes in the coming years, including the land where the middle school currently sits.

“We think it will be a combination of commercial, housing, and maybe some other mixed use,” consultant Chuck Cagann said.

The city and commission are looking to buy the land, which is just down Madison Avenue from the city’s center, to bring more business to the area.

“The site as we understand it is going to be available,” Cagann said. “The mayor has been talking with the school corporation about that and if that were included in the plan it could be a really significant opportunity to be able to expand.”

Cagann asked the redevelopment commission to approve contracts for companies to study downtown, its buildings, and roadways.

He’s working from a list of 12 desired goals for downtown development, which include improving traffic flow.

“We have, as a lot of older cities do some traffic issues in downtown, a lot of congestion,”  City Engineer Mark Richards said.

He said a comprehensive traffic study needs to take place before any changes are made, but with population growth like Greenwood has seen, something needs to be done.

“In the past there’s been some discussion of one way streets, roundabouts and other things, but at this point it’s really too early to tell what we might be doing in the long run,” he said.

The traffic flow study will cost more than $60,000.

The money will come from the redevelopment commission fund.

The next step will be for the redevelopment commission to see the results of the studies and approve the costs to begin recommended projects.