The Odessa City Council approved the newest iteration of the city’s downtown master plan Tuesday night and residents will get their chance to see it and ask questions Thursday afternoon.
Monica Powell, an urban planner with Kimley-Horn, said the company evaluated how far the city has come since the 2016 master plan and it evaluated the feasibility of the unfinished projects. They put together surveys and met with residents and others over three-days in September before spending the last six months finalizing the plan.
During the process, Powell said they discovered residents were satisfied with the city’s special events, safety and traffic levels, but were less pleased with existing shopping, the general appearance of downtown and current public spaces. They were “unsure” about downtown’s existing dining options, housing and how to navigate downtown.
The report presented to the council Tuesday night detailed 42 new businesses have been created downtown since 2016 and $295,000 in facade grants and $685,431 in infrastructure grants have been received. It also touts the $30 million conference center and public parking garage and $11 million devoted to the Ector Theater.
The report indicates the plan is to transform downtown Odessa into a major destination for residents and visitors, with several art, entertainment and cultural opportunities. They also hope to make Odessa’s downtown attractive and safe for pedestrians.
The plan was approved by the tourism board prior to the council adopting it Tuesday night.
Among the highlights:
- Dotting downtown with public art, benches, bike racks, wider sidewalks and attractive landscaping, to include planter beds and trees.
- Turning 2nd and 8th streets into downtown “gateways.”
- Turning 4th and 6th streets into “festival streets” that can easily be closed during community events.
- Using signs and a welcome center map to help visitors find historic landmarks, parks, amenities, etc.
- Turning Jackson Avenue between 3rd and 5th streets into an area filled with restaurants and outdoor dining.
- Creating a bike loop east to west along 3rd and 5th streets and north to south down Jackson Avenue to Lincoln Avenue.
- Creating more direct access to Noel Heritage Plaza.
- Adopting a marketing and branding strategy.
- Addressing parking issues through parking lots, parking garages, shared parking.
The plan also calls upon the city to seek out ways to address the lack of housing downtown, especially for those who work at Medical Center Hospital and attend school at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center-Permian Basin.
The unveiling of the master plan will be held at the Copper Rose Building, 415 N. Grant Avenue, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday. There will be live music, light refreshments and door prizes.
