More than 70 provide input for community master plan project

More than 70 individuals shared their thoughts on a proposed enhanced link between downtown Greencastle and the DePauw University campus during a two-hour open house Tuesday night at the Inn at DePauw.

On hand to confer with a team of consultants from AP (Anderson Partners) Development, MKSK, DELV Design and Veridus Group were retirees from the old junior high condos, retired DPU professors, mayors past present and future (Sue Murray, Bill Dory, Lynda Dunbar and Brian Cox), City Council members and candidates, Greencastle’s unofficial historian Jinsie Bingham and many others.

Most of them were there to share ideas on what’s needed to make the Greencastle-DePauw community even better. The interaction impressed Matthew Rueff, director of development for AP Development, Brownsburg.

The ultimate goal is to turn a $250,000 Lilly Endowment planning grant into a $25 million award that could help shape the community’s future.

“Lilly Endowment has thrown down a big challenge,” Rueff told the Banner Graphic during the open house. “There are communities that have colleges that are not going after the money because they’re not talking to each other. It’s a unique opportunity and I’m very encouraged at how the university and town have grasped that.”

Rueff suggested that community members, university staff and students play an important role in sharing local knowledge, experiences and expectations to be incorporated into the plan.

“We’re getting information out of people to better understand the community,” he noted, adding that some themes have been developing.

“Ultimately this plan will shape the next chapter of downtown Greencastle,” Rueff added in a handout sheet for the event.

Input is being collected through the fall with the consultants researching existing studies, demographics and market demands with an eye on improving housing, recreation, infrastructure and aesthetic aspects of the community.

Assessing the current physical conditions of downtown Greencastle will help identify what is working well and what could be improved, he noted.

The consultants are then expected to sketch concepts for new developments and public space improvements. The plan is to bring those ideas back to the community in the form of a draft plan to get community feedback at a public meeting in the latter part of October.

Consultants, who hope to identify development projects that can move directly into funding, design and construction, have been asking “stakeholders” like the Putnam County Board of Realtors, City Plan Commission, City Council and a cross section of the community such questions as:

-- “What do you love about Greencastle?”

-- “What makes Greencastle unique?”

-- “Tell us about your housing experiences.”

-- “Where do you think housing might be most appropriate?”

In addition, they will be asking about vacant spaces and redevelopment opportunities.

Where development can best be absorbed will be a key issue, Rueff noted, pointing in comparison to how 20 years ago Danville was nothing more than a “sleepy little town” that has now grown into a thriving community.

Housing is one of the major community issues, not just for local residents but for attracting new hires to the university.

Rueff said they are “trying to layer that with housing data” such as price points, the type of housing needs, what housing is available and even looking to the types of households in the United States and what matches of here. “We’ll look at those elements and target households and homes.”

Pondering the campus area, Rueff noted that there is “a gorgeous, gorgeous street (Anderson) coming in to East College, but that concept is not carried through.”

Indiana Street could be that desired link between downtown and campus, especially since it already shows elements of that, Rueff suggested.

He said Indiana Street has “some wonderful things going on,” noting that he was walking there the other day and ran into students returning to campus eating ice cream, an obvious indication they had been to Scoops and had been enjoying the downtown.

The idea is to “make such a walk or stroll more appealing,” Rueff said. “I don’t want to leave the impression every street needs to be Anderson Street. That needed to be a landmark street. There has to be a hierarchy of streets.”

Rueff also spoke to a “connectivity issue” within the community.

“People love to walk,” he said, “but sometimes the trail just ends.”

He characterized the DePauw Nature Park, just west of Greencastle, as a “best-kept secret.”

“If you don’t know how to get there, you won’t get there,” Rueff said, indicating “strengthening the walkability” of the community is a goal. “‘How do I get across Washington Street?’” he said can be prohibitive for those out on a stroll through the city.

The city and university are expected to pursue funding opportunities from the public sector to assist in construction of one or more projects identified by the master plan being formulated. The process obtaining funding, design and construction can take several years.

“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us the next couple of months,” Rueff said, indicating plans are to keep the QR code (www.surveymonkey.com/r/DePauwGreencastle) on the survey open a couple more weeks for people who can’t get to any of the public meetings. Consultants can also share ideas with the public at Gogoldandgreen.com.