Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Planning Manager Tim Kelly emails a weekly GR Forward update to the project Steering Committee. Here's this week's communication:
Good Afternoon Downtown Plan Steering Committee and Community Partners:
I hope you are wrapping up a fantastic week.
This email is the first in what will be a weekly communication between now and the completion of the Downtown Plan. It will serve both as a medium to update you on the project, and as a forum to communicate relevant and thought-provoking information.
Included on this email are members of the Downtown Plan Steering Committee, as well as a number of community partners that will be instrumental in making sure the Downtown Plan is successful. For those of you on this list but not on the Downtown Plan Steering Committee, please disregard any requests for information or calls to action. Additionally, if you do not want to receive this weekly update, please respond to me to opt-out.
Resource
As a first item for your review, I have attached P.U.M.A’s annual Global Trends Report. Recall that P.U.M.A completed the DDA Framework Plan in 2011. The report is an interesting look at urban trends and how downtowns can capitalize on them to gain a competitive advantage. There are many implications for Downtown Grand Rapids, and as we set to begin our Downtown Plan, it is important to understand the challenges and opportunities before us.
Request for Action
Lastly, I am writing with the first official business for the Downtown Plan, which is to determine the best date for our initial kick-off meeting. Our consultant team, led by Interface Studios, is planning to visit Grand Rapids the week of March 31st, and would like to hold the first Steering Committee meeting either Wednesday, April 2nd or Thursday, April 3rd. To help us set a schedule, please indicate your availability for a meeting via the poll provided here: http://doodle.com/zfp9ktggkss4itdp
Thank you again for your continued efforts to improve Downtown. Please contact me if you have any questions.
