Adam RollinsThis story was originally published in the Government Contracting Pipeline newsletter from Strategic Partnerships, Inc. To have the latest government contracting news stories from across the country delivered straight to your inbox, click here to subscribe.
The city of Los Banos, California, will embark on a $94 million plan to revitalize its downtown area. The Los Banos City Council approved the Los Banos Downtown Master Plan during its Oct. 2 meeting. The updated Downtown Master Plan builds on the city’s 2020 Downtown Strategic Plan, developing a vision to improve connectivity to regional corridors, enhance mobility and increase cultural visibility.
The Master Plan goals revolve around enhancing walking and biking facilities, improving streetscapes and building community gathering spaces. Additional plans include implementing green street concepts and high-quality landscaping, upgrading underground utilities and enhancing signage and wayfinding.
The city will use a phased approach to implementing these improvements, prioritizing infrastructure, urban design and placemaking elements. The Master Plan will align all projects under seven core improvement categories.
Plans include prioritizing the pedestrian experience, expanding sidewalk space with curb extensions at corners and mid-block extensions. These improvements will provide more space for activities, circulation and landscaping without restructuring existing curbs. The city will also shorten the pedestrian crossing distance at intersections and in the middle of blocks.
The Master Plan includes several opportunities for communal gathering spaces. The city will repave and improve alleys to make them intimate spaces for people to eat, sit and interact rather than just utilitarian spaces. In addition, the city will build parklets, small structures that extend the sidewalks out into the street to provide spaces for shady outdoor areas with seating for local establishments.
The city will prioritize improving the downtown area’s aesthetics, starting with repaving sidewalks with decorative pavers. Plans include planting trees to expand sidewalk canopies and provide shade relief during hot seasons. Los Banos will plant perennial foliage and place modern outdoor furniture and signage for rest and navigation.
The plan emphasizes connectivity throughout the downtown area. Aside from sidewalk improvements, the city will create direct pedestrian connections between downtown cultural streets and centers. These crossings will be better, safer and more direct to better serve the community. Plans also include additional parking.
The city is working on a separate Civic Center Master Plan contributing to the downtown reimagination efforts. The center will expand City Hall offices, rehabilitate the police annex building and redevelop the former police headquarters to potentially serve as a plaza or public parking.
Los Banos will install a welcoming entry sign as a gateway to the downtown area. A landscaped park to the east will supplement the downtown gateway. The city will ensure the entry space will contain signage and art illustrating the city’s history and culture.
Plans include installing wayfinding signage to direct drivers toward key destinations and parking areas. The city will also install pedestrian signage pointing residents and visitors to parks, businesses and other amenities.
With the Downtown Master Plan approved, the city will spend the next four years advancing environmental reviews, developing design documents and pursuing funding to start construction.
Photo by Matthew Hamilton on Unsplash
