Downtown Albany master plan to be presented

ALBANY — Stakeholders interested in the ongoing efforts to redevelop downtown Albany can get a look at a master plan for the district at a community meeting Tuesday.

Tony Peterman of Strategic Advisors, who created the master plan for the Downtown Development Authority, will present the plan to the Albany/Dougherty County taxing authorities: the Albany City Commission, Dougherty County Commission and Dougherty County School Board. The meeting will start at 5 p.m. in Room 100 of the downtown Government Center.

“Our county’s taxing authorities all contribute to the downtown TAD (tax allocation district), so we’ve asked all three to hear Tony’s presentation,” Downtown Manager Sharlene Cannon said. “And, since we want to be very transparent in what we do, we’re inviting any stakeholder in the public to hear the presentation as well.”

Peterman will give a brief overview of the master plan during the City Commission’s morning work session, which will be held Tuesday in Room 120 of the Government Center starting at 8:30 a.m.

Interest in the master plan and in downtown redevelopment expanded Tuesday when developer Rick Patton, who built the Hilton Garden Inn on Front Street, told the City Commission he’d like to build a Home2 Suites extended-stay hotel adjacent to the Hilton Garden Inn. Patton asked the commission to allow him to refinance the loan he used to build the hotel.

“Tony presented the master plan to the Downtown Development Authority a short while back, and we wanted our city officials and our taxing authorities to have an opportunity to see the presentation, too,” Cannon said. “With the interest in residential development downtown, it’s interesting that one of the points Tony makes during the presentation is that downtown could easily accommodate 100 (residents) right now and another 50 to 100 soon after.

“I attended the national Main Street Conference in Atlanta recently, and most of the focus at the conference was on downtown living. Most communities that have developed their downtown areas have embraced the residential component, and the ones that have are thriving. I think that’s one of the most important elements about downtown development: get the people living there. When you add the residential component, the retail will follow.”

Cannon said a question/answer session would be part of Tuesday’s presentation.