Drive across the city’s downtown, and it’s easy to see a city about to grow expansively.
The clanking of construction can be heard from the sites of four buildings that will reach heights of seven to 12 stories. When completed, they’ll provide 1,181 new rental apartments.
Two other 12-story buildings are poised to begin construction: A 170-unit condo building and the downtown’s first hotel, which will have 200 rooms.
The city will feel the impact of this downtown growth spurt during the next couple of years, as renters and owners settle into these high-rises. Some call it the near-realization of a vision set out by city voters 23 years ago — one that calls for the heart of the city evolving into a metropolitan destination.