The Remaking of Huron’s Main Street

In 2012, Huron City Council adopted a master plan for the City in which they set forth to redefine and update key areas of the City.  The plan, entitled Vision 2020, “is a comprehensive master plan for Huron that capitalizes on downtown redevelopment opportunities, creates synergies between identified initiatives and sets a course for the city’s growth while ensuring its rich history and character are celebrated.”  Many of the ideas set forth in this master plan have already been completed; namely, the reclamation of the Con Agra site and the acquisition and clean up of the former Showboat site.

 

Construction to re-connect Main Street, September 2015

Another of the key suggestions of Vision 2020 was to reconnect Main Street which had been left disjointed following Urban Renewal.  According to the plan, “The extension of North Main Street establishes substantial new opportunities for development within the City’s core. More importantly, the new street will re-link the City’s primary corridor, by re-imagining parking lots and other underutilized land as a beautiful and functional street.”  Through much planning, the City finally began the process of re-connecting the disjointed portion of Main Street this fall.  In total, the North Main Street Project is estimated to cost $1.3 million and is to be completed in two phases.

 

Phase I called for the re-connection of Main Street through two separate parking lots- the Boat Basin lot and the hotel lot.  This phase was slated to be completed in fiscal year 2015.  Work began on this project this fall and is nearly complete.  To date, the City has spent $267,000 on this project and anticipates spending another $433,000.  This total of $700,000.00 came from the city’s Capital Improvement Project Fund. 

Phase II called for streetscape enhancements totaling $650,000.00 to be completed in fiscal year 2016.  This project will begin at the intersection of US 6 and SR 13 and run north to the former entrance of the Boat Basin parking area.  Subsequently; work will proceed from the intersection of Main and South streets to Main Street’s northern terminus at the Huron River Pier.  The streetscape enhancements will include asphalt, curb, sidewalk, parking, and landscape improvements.  The City acquired a federal grant in the amount of $500,000 to help fund this phase of the project.  The remaining $150,000 will come from the City’s Capital improvement Project Fund.

North Main Street looking south from Wall Street

The ultimate goal of the Main Street project is to re-establish a thriving Main Street in Huron.  To that end, the City has had contact from the private development community to discuss preliminary concepts for new construction along Main Street.  According to City Manager, Andy White, “Work on a specific recruitment strategy is ongoing and is expected to be in place in 2016 with potential for development as a result of capital investment by the City.” Further he stated “In accordance with its Master Plan, the city will value those proposals which increase property valuations, create jobs and provide new downtown amenities for residents in the highest regard.”  It is truly exciting to see what the near future will hold for the Huron!