Justin from the Planning Department talks about downtown…Jan 13th

Justin Erickson from the City of Shawnee Planning Department was a welcome guest to the show, talking about some changes we will see downtown.

While many downtown business owners remain disappointed to see the project Shawnee Downtown Street Scape  at a standstill for the last couple of years, it looks like the city is ready to pick up where they left off. The plan was created in 2001…a long time to wrap it up, but long before Erickson came along.

The Street Scape plan began when a small group of residents, community leaders and businesses  became interested in improving downtown’s appearance and accessibility. The plan includes 19 blocks intersecting along Main Street and Highland, Broadway, Union, Bell and Philadelphia.

However it seems to leave out a large part of the Main Street area. Businesses along Main Street are in need of repair and maintainance for their streets and sidewalks. First things first I guess. Those are high traffic intersections and offer a good first impression when you’re driving up to Main Street, hopefully more plans to finish beautification will include some nasty sidewalks and general improvements to Main Street.

With a new guy on board and someone from out-of-town to boot, everyone can expect a fresh take on things from Justin Erickson. He’s from Washington state, has a masters degree in cultural and natural resource management, plus a bachelor of arts degree in geography with an emphasis in land use planning. That’s something that will come in handy for industrial and housing development but it’s his experience with mid size and small communities that impressed us.

“Shawnee is a mid size town but still has that small town feel,” said Erickson. With that small town community camaraderie, he hopes to see a more collaborative effort between the community and planning department. Even with a down economy, he mentioned that Shawnee has a lot to offer prospective businesses and there are a lot of good reasons for existing businesses to keep plugging away.

Finishing the Downtown Street Scape is a great place to start and it’s never too late to take pride in a district rich in diversity, history and charm. No matter what, our hopes are high for a bright future…even on the cloudiest days.

Stay tuned for the next show on Wednesday January 27th, at noon on KIRC 105.9 FM