NextStop Blog

Our long-range planner, Mark, attempted to attend the big TIF public hearing on McKee’s Northside redevelopment plan last night. As many of you know, the city marshals were turning people away at the door because the hearing room was full to capacity. One of those people turned away at the door, unfortunately, was Mark.

Metro watches local development proposals and projects with great interest, since of course part of creating new development or infill development is making provisions for people to get around the development area. I had attended one of the earlier meetings on the Northside proposal, and at that presentation I heard that the developers are in fact thinking about how to tie the development into the MetroLink system, perhaps even constructing a trolley circulator that would move people throughout the developed area and then south to a MetroLink station.

We’ll be interested to see what comes of the proposal; but we’re already impressed with the public’s level of engagement with this project and with the process that was again displayed last night in the number of people hoping to get in and speak at the hearing. Approve or disapprove of Mr. McKee’s vision, we should all agree that it’s fantastic to see people so interested and engaged.