Contacts:
Laura Carstens, Planning Services Manager
563-589-4210, lcarsten@cityofdubuque.org
Phil Wagner, Asst. Dir. of Econ. Development
563-589-4393, pwagner@cityofdubuque.org
Sandra Mason, U of I Dept. of Urban & Regional Planning Master’s Program Student
319-512-9104, sandra-mason@uiowa.edu
October 16, 2012 - For Immediate Release
Public Input Meeting on Oct. 25 for South Port of Dubuque Redevelopment
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The public is invited to attend and participate in a public input meeting on the redevelopment of Dubuque’s “South Port.” The event will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, at the Grand River Center’s Meeting Room 3, 500 Bell Street.
The South Port consists of 33 acres of vacant and industrial waterfront property south of the Ice Harbor and adjacent to Dubuque’s downtown. It includes the property between the Mississippi River and the railroad tracks on both the north and south sides of U.S. Highway 20 and the Julien Dubuque Bridge. The Port of Dubuque Master Plan, adopted in 2002, outlined a multi-phased redevelopment plan for the entire Port and provided the guidance for what would become a $400 million investment in the North Port, transforming 90 acres from a blighted industrial site to a vibrant recreational, educational, historical, environmental, and employment destination. Redevelopment of the South Port represents the final two phases of the plan by reclaiming underutilized and brownfield property on the South Port for mixed-use development while balancing creative vision and market demand. The current plan envisions a variety of uses, including commercial, retail, recreational, and residential.
Graduate students in The University of Iowa’s School of Urban and Regional Planning, in partnership with the City of Dubuque, will gather public feedback at the meeting as part of an economic/community development project focusing on the redevelopment of the South Port. The project will continue through May 2013.
“The purpose of the Oct. 25 meeting is to gain insight into the public’s land use preferences for the South Port,” said Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens. “This is an opportunity for the citizens of Dubuque to share their ideas, ask questions, and help shape the future of the riverfront. The 2002 Master Plan played a key role in redevelopment of the North Port as the America’s River project. The Master Plan proposed commercial and residential uses for the South Port ten years ago. The Oct. 25 meeting will gather feedback on whether the plan matches the current public vision for the site.”
Residents and stakeholders can provide input and get additional information online at www.cityofdubuque.org/southport. Following the event, the students will use the ideas to help create a survey which will be conducted to collect broader public input on the preferred land uses for the South Port. After conducting the survey, the students will use the data to create multiple alternatives for redevelopment. A second public input event in the spring will show the survey results and allow the public to choose their top alternatives. The top alternatives chosen by the public, along with the students’ evaluation, will be recommended to the Dubuque City Council in early May, 2013.
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A PDF version of this news release is available online at http://www.cityofdubuque.org/newsreleases
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