Lower Downtown District, Inc.

St. Charles Update

Mar 27, 2000

Goals for the Year 2000
By Jerry Arca, SCNG President

With an eye on making and keeping Lower Downtown an attractive and enjoyable place to live, the St. Charles Neighborhood Group has identified six goals for the Year 2000. The neighborhood group which represents the needs of LoDo's burgeoning residential population, sees the new year as a window opportunity to have much positive impact. Among the goals for the year are:
?· Helping to get Lower Downtown's Neighborhood Plan prepared for presentation to the city?…and then helping to get it approved by City Council. The plan provides a number of important safeguards and design concepts that will work to keep Lower Downtown's unique historic nature preserved for years to come.
?· Leading the fund-raising efforts to pay the design and installation of a history based play area in Commons Park. The play area was presented to the public for the first time on Feb. 29 at a community forum. Residents will join with local businesses, real estate developers and private foundations in raising the estimated $300,000 needed to bring the play area into reality. The half-acre site in Commons Park will feature play elements including a railroad, a silver mine, a Native American encampment area and much more.
?· Monitoring liquor license applications and renewals in Lower Downtown. St. Charles meets with all new applicants to share the concerns of residents in our mixed-use community. The organization also targets troublesome existing liquor license holders and seeks to bring about responsible behavior from them.
?· Identifying new opportunities for homeowner association boards to interact with each other and to share information about issues of common concern.
?· Creating more opportunities for beautification projects throughout Lower Downtown.
?· Building a larger, stronger membership base to increase the community's credibility and clout in public forums.

The St. Charles Neighborhood Group's monthly board meetings are open to the public and are held every first Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Dixons.