Platte City is launching an ambitious planning effort aimed at revitalizing its downtown district and enhancing its parks and recreation system.
Partnering with Venice Communications, RDG Planning and Design, and additional engineering firms, the city is working to develop a long-term master plan to guide improvements for years to come.
“The spirit of the plan is to help the business community that exists here today improve the function and aesthetics of downtown,” said Cory Scott, urban planner for RDG Planning and Design. “Ultimately creating memories for people to think of Platte City as a place to visit, a place to do business and a place to live.”
Scott, who has worked on similar projects across the country during his 25 years with RDG, said the plan will explore ways to enhance business retention and attraction, improve traffic flow, address ADA compliance for sidewalks and parking, and update building facades. It will also consider adding public gathering spaces like parks and plazas.
The city received a $135,000 Planning Sustainable Grant for the project from the Mid-America Regional Council. Additional funding will come from city resources.
“Downtowns are very important to small cities,” Platte City interim city administrator DJ Gehrt said. “They are kind of a cultural touchstone of the city; when they get to a certain point and need to be relooked at and renovated, you don’t want to just impose something on the community and property and business owners.”
Community involvement is a major part of the planning process. Local business leaders are already meeting regularly to brainstorm and help shape the vision for downtown. Residents and visitors are also invited to participate.
The first round of public outreach began with a pop-up event on June 14. A second information booth will be available during Platte City’s Fourth of July celebration from 9 a.m. to noon. Feedback can also be submitted online via an interactive map and surveys at EngageRDG.com/PlanPlatteCity.
“None of the ideas will happen immediately, but if we don’t know what we’re doing, none of them would ever happen,” Gerht said. “We’re still in the information stage; there is no preconceived ‘this is what will happen.’”
Residents will have another chance to weigh in during a public design studio hosted from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on July 16 and 17 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Consultants will present early concepts and gather additional community feedback.
“An opportunity to react to emerging ideas,” Scott said of the design studios. “It’s not a plan, it’s more of just an exploration of scenarios of what could happen for downtown.”
A formal draft of the master plan is expected in late fall. Afterward, the city will evaluate the proposed projects through its budgeting process. Some initiatives could require a citywide vote, while others may be approved by the Board of Aldermen.
If any projects require city debt, those projects would need to be approved by voters. In the meantime, city leaders are encouraging continued community feedback to help shape the future of Platte City.