Improved landscaping, better traffic lights, redone roads and more green spaces are part of architect Bob Luke’s vision of a revitalized downtown Meridian.

Luke, the managing principal of LPK Architects in Meridian, offered the city council a final look at a master plan for the city Tuesday morning, suggesting a myriad of potential improvements. 

Estimated costs for the changes were not revealed, though, and one council member wanted an impact analysis that also was not provided.

LPK was contracted by the city for its master plan in December 2016. The council authorized a $93,500 agreement with the firm then.

“We have the most intact downtown in any city in Mississippi,” Luke said, adding that it needs to be capitalized on more.

New additions to the city could include public space that will take advantage of the city’s railroad infrastructure, similar to the High Line in New York City; a revitalization of 22nd Avenue as it enters downtown; another public space near City Hall; different types of trees planted downtown; and something to aid the historic African-American business district.

Luke also recommended that the old police station be remade into something for public use and that Sowashee Creek be restored.

Small proposed changes include more green space, signage for parking spaces and making traffic lights coordinated instead of timed by default. After studying Oxford, Luke said paid parking may be one way to bring more revenue to Meridian.

A roughly three-mile area downtown is a food desert, said Luke, meaning it does not offer healthy food. If new businesses, such as food trucks or cooperatives that sell fresh produce, were attracted to set up shop, that problem could be alleviated, he and his team said.

Council members Weston Lindemann, Fannie Johnson and George Thomas raised concerns after the presentation.

Lindemann, who represents Ward 5, asked if Luke had an impact analysis—an assessment of how changes would affect downtown economically.

“What we do is give you the framework, and when you identify things, we can help you move forward,” replied Luke.

“A plan, by its very definition, would include that sort of information,” said Lindemann in an interview after the meeting. “What we really saw today is a vision for downtown, or a dream, but not a plan.”

Johnson, who represents Ward 3, said at the meeting that she was impressed but skeptical how the city would afford the proposed projects.

“At the end of the day, there’s some basic stuff that the city needs to handle,” she said later, adding that “it would be money well spent if we had the money to do it.”

Ward 1 councilman George Thomas was also impressed by the presentation but unsure whether the plan was geared towards creating a “historic” downtown or something more “contemporary.”

“If it’s a master plan, what are we? Who are we?” he asked.

In an interview after the meeting, Thomas said he expects 22nd Avenue and smaller-scale projects will be the first to tackle.

A reporter asked Luke why no cost estimates were provided in the presentation. Luke echoed his response to Lindemann’s question about an impact analysis, saying he was was giving a framework. 

Chief Administrative Officer Richie McAlister said after the meeting that grants, partnerships and tax financing could all lower costs considerably. He gave reference to the 22nd Avenue project, which is a federal opportunity zone.

“It’s also the perfect location for a TIGER grant,” he added.

“A lot of these initial projects are just low-hanging projects. In the end, the city will be the catalyst for outside investors to come in and begin investing in the area.”

The city council is planning its budget for next year. The budget is due by the end of September, after which conversations about the master plan will likely begin again, according to council members.