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
April 5, 2013 - For Immediate Release
Public Feedback Session on April 11 for South Port of Dubuque Redevelopment
DUBUQUE, Iowa – The public is invited to attend and participate in a feedback session on the redevelopment of Dubuque’s “South Port.” The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, at the Grand River Center, 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 visions 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 and the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, will gather public feedback at the meeting as part of an economic/community development project focusing on the redevelopment of the South Port. The students collected input at a public brainstorming session in October 2012 and through a public survey in January 2013 on the preferred land uses for the South Port. The students used this input and additional research to create multiple alternatives for redevelopment. At the feedback session on April 11, the students will show the survey results and ask the public to choose their top alternatives. Students’ design plans consider a variety of different land uses based on public input, feasibility analysis, and potential demand. The top alternatives chosen by the public, along with the students’ evaluation, will be presented to the Dubuque City Council on May 6, 2013 for future development considerations.
“This public meeting is an opportunity for the citizens of Dubuque to share their feedback and help shape the future of the South Port,” said Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens. “The 2002 Master Plan had a key role in the America’s River project on the North Port. The Master Plan proposed commercial and residential uses for the South Port ten years ago. Public input will help us to recommend a plan that reflects the current public vision for the South Port.”
Residents and stakeholders unable to attend the meeting can provide input and get additional information online at www.cityofdubuque.org/southport.
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A PDF version of this news release is available online at http://www.cityofdubuque.org/newsreleases
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