The first step in transforming the .25-acre Clock Tower Plaza into an urban plaza space at the corner of Third and Main streets was approved Monday night.
The Cañon City Council approved a Professional Services Agreement with the Denver-based Livable Cities Studio for the Clock Tower Plaza Design Project during the regular city council meeting.
The council in 2021 adopted the “Picture Cañon City 2040” plan, which was created using public input. Liveable Cities Studio’s response to the request for proposal states that the site “is owned by the city and therefore within the context of downtown, riverfront, hogbacks and Third Street presents an immense opportunity to improve the vibrancy of downtown.”
It reads: An active and enhanced Clock Tower Plaza can become a catalytic public space and amenity that can help to trigger and drive other investments and improvements to Main Street and downtown.
“Third Street, and in particular, Clock Tower Plaza, were highly recommended projects for downtown,” City Planner Patrick Mulready said. “The idea behind this project is, right now, Clock Tower Plaza serves as sort of an underutilized space for overflow parking and we’d like to give it some urban engagement, making it kind of a cool urban space. To do this, we want to seek some public input.”
The city garnered a matching grant from Rural Economic Development Initiative to help pay for the project. Funding for the $54,000 project includes $20,000 from a budget allocation made by the council with a 100% match from REDI, $10,000 from Planning & Zoning and $4,000 from the Economic Development budget.
Work will commence this month and is expected to be completed in August. Part of the scope of the project will include joint meetings between the city council and the planning commission to review the public’s preferred option on a design.
Mulready said the public outreach/engagement phase for this project is expected to begin very soon.
Councilwoman Amy Schmisseur said that once public input is received, two to three concepts will be presented to the community for more input.
“We are seeking public input on multiple levels including in-face meetings and online surveys to find out what the people of Cañon City want to have there,” Mayor Ashley Smith said.
In other business:
- The public hearing for redistricting was moved to Feb. 20’s regular council meeting.
- The council approved a resolution establishing the Cañon City Water Committee. A public notice soliciting letters of interest will be forthcoming.
