The Regent Street area has become the focus of a redevelopment plan that will guide revitalization projects there for decades.
Ald. Austin King, District 8, the city representative who oversees the neighborhood, said he wants Regent to have a State Street-like feel with a more 'activated' sidewalk that lends itself to window shopping.
'The current street is really auto-dependent, with not a lot of good crossing opportunities for pedestrians,' King said. He said the 'suburban, 1950s-style' street, for all its bicycle shops, is not very accessible for bicyclists.
In addition, King said he wants to increase both the quality and quantity of housing north of Regent Street. 'There are significant opportunities for housing development,' King said.
'I could see us adding even possibly several thousand new housing units in that little neighborhood in the next 10 years,' King said.
The City Council approved $20,000 for the Regent Street Master Plan Thursday, which will take shape as King coordinates efforts from business owners in coming months.
King will seek City Council approval for an ad hoc city committee of residents and business owners into what may be called the 'Greater Regent Street Working Group.' This task force will work to raise approximately $40,000 from nearby institutions with a stake in the area, at which point the city will release its $20,000. From there, the task force will request bids from private development consulting firms.
'The consultant needs to have a lot of expertise when it comes to planning issues, traffic issues, aesthetics, architecture and engineering, but also in terms of public input and a good process,' King said.
Ald. Robbie Webber, District 5, oversees the adjacent western district where she said her neighborhood association is working on its own master plan. She said that property owners in King's area will want to fund the task force because with a master plan in place, owners can more effectively maximize their properties.
'People are more willing to invest in an area once there is a plan,' Webber said.
Ald. Isadore Knox, Jr., District 13, represents the district south of King's. 'We want to make sure,' Knox said, 'that as development occurs, we have the kind of services that residents need at that area and at the same time some robust business.'
