Engagement during Covid – outside, online, through restaurant takeout orders and in multiple languages
Harrisonburg Downtown 2040
LOCATION
Harrisonburg, VA
CLIENTS
City of Harrisonburg Department of Economic Development
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR)
COLLABORATORS
Ninigret Partners
Monteverde Engineering & Design
Merritt Chase
A plan to help downtown connect with local universities and the Shenandoah Valley
Harrisonburg’s first comprehensive downtown plan focuses on revitalizing Black’s Run, an unimproved creek that runs through Downtown. Along with improvements to the waterway, the plan envisions a new Downtown park for major events, significant housing development, and the transformation of Downtown’s two main corridors – Main and Liberty – into true, multi-modal corridors that support local business and welcome students and visitors to Harrisonburg.
On the heels of the plan, Harrisonburg has made big strides toward implementation. The City received a $14.3 million federal grant to convert a lane of Liberty Street to a two-way separated bicycle connection traversing Downtown, north to south. Downtown Harrisonburg was chosen by popular demand as a location for the Levitt Amp music series, with a music series highlighting cultural diversity through events that are welcoming, inclusive, and family friendly.