Willmar Design Center sets goals for this year; plans to again focus on restoring Litchfield Ave.

Design Center president says Willmar residents believe reopening Litchfield Avenue would help attract and improve private business downtown

By David Little, West Central Tribune

WILLMAR — The Willmar Design Center will continue efforts begun last year to restore Litchfield Avenue as the main east-west downtown thoroughfare.

During a recent planning session, the Design Center board made restoring downtown access from U.S. Highway 12 the top goal for 2007. The bypass, built 31 years ago, rerouted traffic and was believed by some to have resulted in reduced business downtown.

“Unless you live in Willmar, it’s not easy to tell somebody how to get downtown if they are driving in,’’ says Judy Wright, who was re-elected Design Center president for 2007.

Wright and other Willmar residents believe reopening Litchfield Avenue would attract and improve private business and residential investment in the downtown area.

“You need the visibility. The businesses are not going to thrive without the visibility,’’ said Tom Ososki, the Design Center’s part-time urban designer.

“Once you get more traffic going by, then businesses will start to reinvest into their buildings or into open lots, that kind of thing,’’ he said.

Restoring Litchfield Avenue was one of four strategic actions proposed in the Design Center’s “visioneer’’ for downtown area improvement.

The Design Center will also continue to work on the other three actions: establish a downtown commons; urbanize First Street between Trott and Benson avenues; and connect the downtown area and lakes area with a pedestrian bridge.

Wright says the strategic actions grew from ideas generated during two community meetings with the Minnesota Design Team in 2005. The Design Center was formed to bring the suggestions to fruition.

“They actually came from the community, not from the board of the Design Center or Tom,’’ said Wright.

Development of the visioneer in 2006 was a big accomplishment because many people felt a plan for downtown was needed, says Beverly Dougherty, Design Center program coordinator.

Now, board members say, it’s time to execute the plan because people need to see some results, “even if it’s a long-range plan that we’ve gotten part of the planning done or the drawings done or the bids out,’’ said Dougherty.

Placement of benches, trash receptacles, bike racks and planters on Fourth Street between Litchfield and Becker avenues will be the model for the rest of downtown, says Dougherty. The model was developed through the committee process. The city will pay for and install the pieces, which will be placed on city property.

“So we’ll have a nice first chunk that I think when people see what it can look like will be very excited and pushing for more city budget for benches,’’ she said.

Board members say communication of goals is also important. Some small goals will be accomplished this year, such as the “Paint the Pavement,’’ a community art project being proposed for a downtown intersection.

Also planned is a new mural on the south side of the West Central Land Services building near the Becker Avenue and Fourth Street intersection. The design, depicting rays of light, was coordinated with Rice Memorial Hospital to help create a healing environment.

Larger goals, such as a pedestrian bridge across the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks, will take longer, said Ososki.

He said community members feel the railroad has disconnected the city from the natural resources to the north.

The Design Center, the city and the railroad will continue the discussion, he said. Burlington Northern is open to the idea because its interest is in public safety; the Design Center’s interest is in connecting to the lakes.

“We’re still pursuing it because we see there are possibilities,’’ Ososki said. “It’s not an end-all or be-all. If it never happens, it’s not going to kill downtown. But if it does happen, it’s going to make it so much better.’’