Lake Center District Area Three-Day Charrette
The City of Portage will hold a three-day charrette on August 5, 6 & 7 to receive public input concerning the Lake Center District Area. The city’s consultant, Farr & Associates of Chicago, will hold a community meeting on Wednesday, August 5 at 6 PM where interested parties can view initial designs prepared by the consultants based on input from a previous community workshop, as well as public comments received since then. In accordance with the current COVID-19 Executive Orders, this meeting will be held in a virtual format. The meeting can be viewed on cable access (Spectrum channel 995 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99) or live-streamed at portagemi.viebit.com/?folder=ALL. The public can participate by calling 844-854-2222, access code 529853#. To voice a question or a comment, press *6 to enter the queue.
On Thursday, August 6, from 8 AM - 6:30 PM, designers and planners will spend the day revising the initial designs in a studio space at Portage City Hall. This activity will be open to the public but limited to ten people in the studio space at one time. Participants can watch the designers at work and contribute to the process in an open house style session.
Finally, on the afternoon of Friday, August 7, the consultants, will present the revised drawings to the Lake Center District Area Steering Committee. But the process doesn’t end there. Farr & Associates staff will return to their offices in Chicago to finalize drawings and designs, which will be presented to the community at an open house this fall. Taken together, these sessions will allow for the collaboration needed to create an attractive, functional and sustainable Lake Center District Area. “I look forward to seeing the options for what the Lake Center District Area can be,” said City Manager Joe La Margo. “It’s time to reimagine this area and we need input from the people who live and work here so that we get it right the first time.”
The Lake Center District runs along Portage Road between Osterhout and East Centre Avenue. With the existing conditions on Portage Road come inherent difficulties with traffic movements and pedestrian safety. A sound plan for a future Lake Center District Area that benefits the affected property owners and businesses is necessary. The City of Portage is prepared to invest in the area to help stimulate the creation of an attractive and viable Lake Center District Area that functions on all levels – creating stability and encouraging investment while protecting the quality of life for Portage residents.
Individuals who are interested in receiving automated updates concerning this project are encouraged to register for Notify Me at portagemi.gov/list.aspx and subscribe to the Lake Center District Area category. To submit a question or feedback concerning the Lake Center District Area, individuals can visit portagemi.gov/721.