UPTOWN — The city is looking to overhaul Uptown’s stretch of Clark Street, and it is seeking neighbors’ ideas in developing its plan.
The Clark Street Crossroads study is looking at Clark Street from Montrose to Foster avenues to see how it can be improved for pedestrians, commuters, neighbors and businesses. The study was announced in December, and the city held its first community workshop on the project Wednesday.
At the meeting, urban planners for the city laid out potential ways to improve Clark Street.
Several opportunities to make Clark Street more pedestrian-friendly were proposed. Those include a curbless streetscape similar to the Asia on Argyle configuration, raised intersections to boost crosswalk safety, curb extensions and pedestrian refuges built in the middle of crosswalks.
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There are also opportunities to add public art, biking infrastructure, new public spaces and development opportunities, urban planners at the meeting said.
The proposals were preliminary ideas to get neighbors thinking of how best to improve Clark Street, officials said. The city is asking neighbors to fill out a survey on their preferences for improving the corridor.
To fill out the survey, click here.
The study of Clark Street comes as its Uptown stretch has seen increased developer attention. This year alone, four developments are slated to bring 100-plus new residential units to the 4500 block of North Clark Street.
The study will also look at existing development opportunities along Clark Street with an eye towards seeing if zoning or land use changes should be recommended, according to city planners.
A revised streetscape could help revitalize the area, officials said.
“These corridors are the main streets, they are often some of the very reasons we live in the neighborhoods we live in,” Maurice Cox, commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development, said at the Wednesday community meeting. “I think of corridor revitalization as the key to providing folks the amenities that make their neighborhoods worth living in.
The Clark Street study is still in its early stages. A second community meeting and survey will be held in March or April with a final corridor study coming by June.
For more on the project, click here.
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