The Bradenton City Council, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, released a request for qualifications on Wednesday that moves a downtown streetscaping project forward.
Conversations about upgrading the appearance of the Old Main Street corridor, which also includes 11th and 13th streets west, began last summer. Bradenton Downtown Development Authority board member Mike Carter said then that maintenance of Old Main Street had fallen off in recent years.
Carter pointed out Old Main was looking “old and tired,” and that the city did something similar years ago that had “a huge impact.”
The DDA is upping the stakes this time around with not only proposing new landscaping, but it could eliminate street parking in favor of wider sidewalks. Such a move, board members believe, would increase downtown walkability while providing more room and space for business owners.
Improved lighting also is a primary consideration. The RFQ will allow interested companies to create a vision of downtown improvements, taking into account what the city wants. The RFQ does not take into account cost considerations and there are no cost estimates at this time.
Companies have until Feb. 27 to submit the RFQ. The DDA will act as the selection committee and choose three of the best submissions to forward to the city council for final consideration.
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