A slide from the downtown revitalization plan shows a long-term vision for the Walnut Street Extension and Ramah Circle area.
Photo credit: Woodard & Curran
AGAWAM — In the future, people driving over the Morgan-Sullivan Bridge into Agawam may experience a completely different “downtown,” one filled with new restaurants and retail spaces; a downtown where businesses coexist side by side with affordable housing options and where people can enjoy green spaces and areas for the community to gather.
While the plans are in the initial stages, Agawam residents and several city councilors got their first look at a potential future through a downtown revitalization plan from consultant Woodard & Curran. Agawam used grant funding to hire the firm to explore ways to make the best use of the vacant and underutilized property around Walnut Street Extension and Ramah Circle.
At the Oct. 28 meeting, Woodard & Curran Senior Program Leader Katie Evans explained that the revitalization team, which included Mayor Christopher Johnson and members of the city administration, sought public input on what a desirable downtown would look like. In addition to an interactive online platform and survey, the team hosted three stakeholder workshops. Twenty-eight community members participated, and 115 comments were submitted.
“This effort really is about creating something community forward,” Evans said.
After analyzing the public and stakeholder feedback, several themes developed. The team found people were interested in attracting new businesses, making the area walkable, offering more activities, expanding housing opportunities and creating an identity for the downtown.
Evans said the themes share a great deal of overlap. To make the area more walkable, the city can take advantage of the state’s Complete Streets grant program, which provides funding to make roadways useful and safe for walking, biking, transit and vehicles, as well as all ages and abilities. By incorporating mixed-use properties — housing that exists in tandem with retail, offices and other businesses — people who live downtown will walk to most amenities.
Attracting new businesses will involve redeveloping some properties, while getting current business owners to buy into the vision of downtown. Year-round programming, as well as signage and other low-cost visual cues, will create a sense that the area is one where the community goes to experience the “downtown.” Those events can happen if the city incorporates open spaces or a plaza into the area.
The road to this vision of the future is a long one. The city will have to seek grants, earmarks and other funding to complete each of the projects. Daniel Windsor, community development practice leader at Woodard & Curran, shared what he called an “illustrative road map” detailing how Agawam can reach this future downtown.
The first step is to use low-cost investments to signal that changes are coming. This includes refreshing Walnut Street Extension with paint. By Partnering with current land owners, the city can use paint, temporary structures, food trucks and programs to “activate” the former Games & Lanes property. Truck traffic would be rerouted and new traffic patterns normalized in the first step toward a more walkable downtown.
Before any other changes can be made, infrastructure improvements are required. Increasing the capacity of the stormwater system and removing sediment and debris will limit future flooding by more intense storms. Stabilizing and restoring eroded banks and creating ecological habitats will reduce the stream overflow in the area.
Windsor said there were a few “key catalyst projects” that will begin to change how the downtown area is used. To give the downtown a Main Street, USA-feel, the team recommended enhancing and unifying the facades of businesses along Walnut Street Extension. Through partnerships with area businesses, the city can create new food, shopping and event destinations. Aside from serving residents, Windsor said it would draw people from around the region. Ramah Circle would be upgraded to allow for shaded areas and more aesthetically pleasing, walkable streets.
The former Games & Lanes property would make a prime location for a medium-density mixed-use property, Windsor said. He shared an image of one of the many types of buildings that could be sited there, with shops on the bottom level and housing on the floors above. Another area that may have potential for redevelopment is the riverfront area where Darker Image Tanning Salon, TD Bank, the Gulf gas station and Stay & Play Laundromat are currently located. Like the Games & Lanes site, the team envisioned medium-density buildings there.
Windsor said the one potential for the Ramah circle area, was to encourage mixed-use buildings to be sited between the businesses on the north side of North Ramah Circle and the areas between Walnut Street Extension and Washington Avenue. Meanwhile, the city could encourage businesses that offer jobs and innovation to be located along the rest of Ramah and Russo circles. Redevelopment of existing buildings could be undertaken as needed.
More long-term projects might include taking advantage of the riverfront to create a promenade that connects to downtown and building a “town center” development with homes, retail and open space for community programs where the Agawam Shopping Court is now. The city may need to partner with some of the existing businesses to facilitate relocation. Another long-term idea was to create a development of town homes or medium-density housing between Walnut Steet Extension and Suffield Street. The existing retailers could be relocated or integrated into a mixed-use format.
Evans said that establishing a downtown committee would allow public and private stakeholders to partner and create a framework to govern the process and keep the momentum going.
After the presentation, several people offered feedback. One resident who is originally from West Hartford referred to the green spaces and mixed-use buildings, saying, “I’ve been talking about something like this for years.” City Councilor Cecelia Calabrese also liked the use of the riverfront.
Several people in the meeting asked what types of businesses would move in and how to encourage other businesses to relocate. Evans said the plan as it stands is designed to provide “more of a concept” than concrete steps that will be taken in the near future. Windsor said the individual pieces of the plan are fluid right now.
“I think this is great,” City Councilor Ed Borgatti said. He encouraged his colleagues to start working toward putting the plan into action. “Shopping centers are deteriorating. It’s time to move on it,” he said.
When discussing funding for some of these projects, Johnson said a $300,000 grant for infrastructure will soon come before the City Council. He is also working with U.S. Sen. Ed Markey on a $1.9 million earmark for similar work.
The public can view the draft revitalization plan on the Planning Department page of the city’s website.
