Manhattan Trustees approved a downtown redevelopment master plan that will be a formal guiding document as the village continues working to improve the downtown area. The plan was approved at the Tuesday, October 17, board meeting and seeks to balance attracting new businesses, while maintaining the small-town charm, a trademark of the Manhattan community.
“The unanimous approval of the plan by the trustees is a significant step in continuing the process of improving the retail and entertainment amenities for residents,” said Mayor Mike Adrieansen. “We genuinely appreciate the level of participation by residents and business owners, who took their time to provide valuable input in the process. We want to assure everyone this is a living document that will evolve over time and will require further input going forward.”
At an open house in June, more than 300 residents attended and were able to view the draft plans and offer comments directly to the mayor and trustees present, as well as discuss the plan with the village’s consultants, Farnsworth Group, on the project. In addition, presentation materials have been available on the village’s website (www.villageofmanhattan.org).
“The mayor and our staff have been pleased to hear from several interested private sector businesses, who have seen the draft plan and already are interested in exploring opportunities within the downtown area,” said Village Administrator Nick Palmer. “Village staff will collaborate with the mayor and trustees to formalize the next steps in this larger effort and will be sharing details with the public very soon.”
The village began work on this redevelopment project in August of 2022 and has been working with other Manhattan area taxing bodies to develop the concept plan. Key partners include the Manhattan Park District, Manhattan-Elwood Library District, and the Manhattan Fire Protection District.
“In addition to attracting new investment downtown, the village also will be launching initiatives to beautify the downtown area and propose measures to reduce and address safety concerns and truck traffic on Rt. 52. Further, the village is exploring marketing to developers who could invest in new construction in Manhattan,” said Mayor Adrieansen. “We have much work ahead, and we will continue to engage with our residents and businesses going forward.”