WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) -The community has the opportunity to provide input on the first phase of the Wilmington Downtown Trail project.
City of Wilmington planning staff and the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization will host a Community Connection Fair on Thursday, August 15 to discuss the Greater Downtown Plan and the updated designs for phase one of the Downtown Trail.
The community outreach event will be held at Archie Blue Park from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The first phase of the Downtown Trail is 1.7 miles long and would connect from 3rd Street to the Love Grove Memorial Bridge. The first half mile of the trail corridor runs along the former Atlantic Coast Railway, which may be used in the future by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to provide passenger rail service to Raleigh.
Travis Henley, comprehensive planning manager for the City of Wilmington, says they are open to hearing all perspectives from neighbors regarding downtown plans.
He says last month, the city collected feedback from a survey that showed people want more accessibility and transportation options.
“It’s a multipronged approach,” said Henley. “We’re interested in hearing from the community, what they want to see for the future for the Greater Downtown Area. Through that effort, we also want to try to expand access to the services that some of the other departments in the city provide.”
Abby Lorenzo, deputy director of WMPO, says plans for the Downtown Trail are still in phase one and that community feedback is a vital part of the planning process.
“I think it’s important that the public understand that their input is really one of, if not the most critical, factor in these projects. If there isn’t public support for a project, it’s not the right project for the community,” said Lorenzo.
You can provide feedback on Phase 1 of the trail’s design through Friday, August 30, at the following survey link: www.surveyhero.com/c/DowntownTrailPhase1.
Maps and renderings of the project can be found here.
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