Historic Main Street: A New Public Environment, Plattsmouth, Nebraska

RDG Planning and Design

From introduction: "Every downtown has its own unique character and challenges. This is especially true for a successful historic downtown that balances the character and history of the district with modern market demands. Much like the rehabilitation of a historic building, the rehabilitation of a historic district must accommodate modern uses, while preserving those portions or features that convey its historical and architectural values. The preservation of a historic building that cannot be used in an economically viable way will ultimately result in decline and possible deterioration of the building. In the same way, a historic district that is not inviting to the very people it needs for survival will continually struggle or even die. The mission of this process was to envision a public environment that strengthens the best qualities of the downtown, creating an environment that is inviting to the users of the district, strengthening its economic viability. A successful vision for the downtown must come from the stakeholders and users of the district. To do this the design process included: Door-to-door interviews of business owners, to discuss the needs and challenges of their businesses as they relate to the public environment. A “Virtual Historic Tour of Plattsmouth,” that was presented as a slideshow to residents and stakeholders. Participants were asked to score past images of Downtown Plattsmouth and other successful historic districts from across the country, offer insight into preferred streetscape designs. A two-day design workshop where residents interacted and worked with the design team to develop the design of the Main Street streetscape. An open house presentation, where residents were able to view the streetscape design, ask questions, and share their thoughts on the design." Project funding was provided in part by a 2008 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the City of Plattsmouth (project number NE-08-022) administered by the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 31-08-21732) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Plattsmouth, Nebraska is a Certified Local Government.

Historic Main Street: A New Public Environment, Plattsmouth, Nebraska

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