Jackson DREAM leaders want more input from uptown business

Jackson building and planning superintendent Janet Sanders said the city needs more input from uptown merchants for the city's DREAM Initiative project. While about 15 people attended Tuesday's first public meeting, held at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, she said no area business owners showed up.

"If we don't have participation from the uptown businesses, they may not end up getting what they want out of the project," she said. "We don't want to end up making all of the decisions when they have the option of being involved in the process."

Sanders said because the input is vital to a successful DREAM project, she plans on going door to door and talking to the business owners to encourage their ideas and participation.

Jackson of Chamber of Commerce director Brian Gerau also said he'd like to see more involvement from the merchants.

"We're looking for community-based input. Our No. 1 goal is getting as many responses as possible," he said.

Despite the lack of current participation from uptown business owners, he said, the DREAM Initiative is a wonderful opportunity for the entire city, not just one area.

Some uptown merchants said they read about the meeting in the newspaper but don't remember receiving any information from the city. Lisa Walker, co-owner of High Street Station, said that despite not attending the meeting, she's interested in the DREAM Initiative.

"I think it's a very important thing. It's something we'd like to be involved in," she said.

Walker said making uptown Jackson a true destination through streetscaping and attracting more shops and eateries would benefit all merchants.

Gerau and Sanders are both members of a DREAM committee working to form a not-for-profit organization to implement programs benefiting the uptown area. Sanders said she is the only representative from city government; the rest are uptown residents and members of community and civic associations.

"We don't want this to be a government-heavy committee. We want a group that can stand on its own long after the three-year DREAM project is over," she said.

While there are about 15 people in the group, Sanders said she would like a couple of uptown business owners to join. Within the next few weeks, the committee will meet to develop its mission statement.

Sanders said plans for uptown development were discussed during the meeting, but representatives from the planning firm working with the city will be coming to town to take pictures of every structure in the uptown area. The photographs will be used to document existing conditions and, much later, to produce renderings of possible facades for the buildings. However, Sanders said, it is up to each property owner to decide whether they want to act on the suggestions.

Since starting the project several months ago, the city has narrowed the size of the area that will receive DREAM projects, but Sanders said areas on the periphery could still see improvements, as long as they benefit the revitalization of the uptown area.

"DREAM is not a big pot of money. It's access to programs and services," she said. "Those programs are always going to be there and they're not all geared to uptown development."

Any uptown merchant interested in serving on the committee can contact Sanders at 243-2300. Jackson also has its own page on the DREAM Intiative's website at www.modream.org/dream-communities/2010-dream-communities/Jackson. The planning firm's presentation from Tuesday's meeting can be found on the site.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

243-8600

Pertinent address:

Uptown Jackson, MO