lyndhurj year-in-review
finHng hope. 1
In the midst of a challenging yIr, it has been a ray of sungine to work on this projeG. This design plan wTl cterally change the makeup of our FmmunWy. L I SA D OT S O N Main Street Athens Director
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Contents 6 | at h e n s , t e n n e s s e e 1 2 | R i n g g o l d , g eo rg i a 1 6 | th e co p p e r basi n 3 h i c k a m au ga , g eo r g i a 20 | C
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ounded in 2013, the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership works to foster vibrant downtowns through community engagement and implementation of citizen-defined planning visions. The partnership recognizes that
downtowns serve as the heart and soul of community life and provide the engines that drive local economies. Our mission is to provide cities with the customized planning and design assistance necessary to help ensure economically vibrant, community-focused downtowns. Since partnering in 2015, Lyndhurst Foundation support has enabled the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership to expand our commitment to improve and revitalize Northwest Georgia and Tennessee cities included in the metropolitan Chattanooga region. Over the course of this partnership, the Lyndhurst Foundation has engaged communities and improved the region by supporting planning and design projects in McCaysville, Copperhill, Ducktown, Trenton, Chickamauga, Chatsworth, Rossville, Ringgold, Lookout Mountain, and unincorporated Murray County. In recognition of all the Lyndhurst Foundation has enabled as part of the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership, in 2020, the Lyndhurst Foundation received the University of Georgia’s Donor Impact Award. This award recognizes the Lyndhurst Foundation’s continued support of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and the Lyndhurst Foundation’s fostering of improved, revitalized, and empowered cities across the region. Faced with the challenges of working remotely with community partners during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, foundation support allowed planners and designers from the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government planners and designers were able to work remotely with community partners and local leaders to develop an extensive strategy for Athens, Tennessee thanks to the foundation’s support. This fruitful collaboration resulted in the Athens Experience Masterplan, a unique fusion of a downtown plan with a comprehensive community branding campaign.
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Over the course of 2020, the partnership built on the successes of previous Lyndhurst-supported projects by continuing relationships with partner communities including Ringgold, Chickamauga, and the Copper Basin. The components of the Georgia Downtown Renaissance Partnership supported by the Lyndhurst Foundation in 2020 include the following: Athens Experience Masterplan 2020 City of Athens, Tennessee Ringgold Depot Square Downtown Redevelopment Model City of Ringgold, Georgia Targeted Technical Assistance for Local Communities City of Ringgold, Georgia Copper Basin Development Committee City of Chickamauga, Georgia
g e o r g i a d o w n tow n r e n a i s s a n c e pa r t n e r s
Lyndhurst Foundation Thrive Regional Partnership University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government Georgia Cities Foundation Georgia Municipal Association University of Georgia College of Environment and Design 2020 University of Georgia Faculty and Staff Danny Bivins, Senior Public Service Associate, Principal Investigator Kaitlin Messich, Public Service Assistant, Senior Designer T. Clark Stancil, Landscape and Urban Designer Allison Cape, Graphic Designer Karen DeVivo, Editor 2020 University of Georgia Student Graduate Students Elizabeth Solomon, Graduate Assistant, Master of Landscape Architecture Brandon Platt, Graduate Assistant, Master of Landscape Architecture Emily Whisenant, Graduate Assistant, Master of Landscape Architecture
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Athens, Tennessee experience masterplan
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c o m m u n i t y pa r t n e r s
Lisa Dotson, Director, Main Street Athens Dr. Harley Knowles, President, Tennessee Wesleyan University Austin Fesmire, Parks and Recreation Director, City of Athens Ben Burchfield, Public Works Director, City of Athens Bo Perkinson, Vice-Mayor, City of Athens C. Seth Sumner, City Manager, City of Athens Anthony Casteel, Director, Athens Community Development/Historic Preservation Scottie Mayfield, Property/business owner Jackie Newman, Property owner Julie Jack, Business owner Whitney Kimball-Coe, Director, Rural Strategies Lauren Shepherd, Director, Athens Area Council for the Arts Renee Fisher, Business owner Lisa Mayfield, Business owner Anne Montgomery, Director, The LITE House/Tennessee Wesleyan University Patti Greek, Business owner Rob Preston, President, Athens Area Chamber of Commerce Kathy Price, Executive Director, McMinn County Economic Development Authority Athens Mayor and City Council Chuck Burris, Mayor Bo Perkinson, Vice-Mayor Lisa Dotson, Interim Council Member Mark Lockmiller, Council Member Dick Pelley, Council Member
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enerously supported by the Lyndhurst Foundation, the Athens Experience Masterplan arose from ongoing revitalization improvement efforts of Main Street Athens and the city’s
Thrive Regional Partnership Committee. Planners and designers from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government collaborated with a steering committee comprised of a cross section of community leaders, downtown business owners, and local citizens. Following recommendations from the steering committee, the project included downtown streetscape and connectivity enhancements, façade improvements, and the development of a visual brand identity for Athens. Informed by critical stakeholder input, the Athens Experience Masterplan aims to inform downtown’s spatial planning and development proposals, attract investment, create a unique community brand, and offer marketing ideas to better promote The Friendly City.
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While the Athens Experience Masterplan began with in-person meetings and site visits, the Covid-19 pandemic quickly necessitated a number of new strategies and planning approaches in order for this effort to continue successfully. Beginning in March, 2020, the University of Georgia closed in-person operations and severely restricted travel in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. Designers and planners at UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government quickly adapted new technologies to continue collaborating with local officials in Athens during the summer. Throughout the planning process, regular communication and virtual presentations of designs allowed University staff to safely receive input and consultation in real time and adapt designs to meet the needs of the community. While a change of pace from traditional in-person presentations, these regular virtual meetings with local partners allowed Institute of Government staff to receive community feedback and consultation more often than in comparative planning efforts before COVID-19. These tools allowed planners and local partners to continue building community momentum and honing designs with the support of the Athens Steering Committee, Main Street Athens, and local leadership. The support of Main Street Athens proved an invaluable resource in the successful development of this plan. Lisa Dotson, director of Main Street Athens, served as the community facilitator of this planning effort, and supported plans and designs with regular input, community feedback, and resources like site photos.
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r e s u lt s Institute of Government staff delivered the Athens Experience Masterplan to community leaders in November, 2020. Developed as part of the new community brand, staff also delivered branded promotional items including mugs, stickers, magnets, and tote bags. These items will be sold by downtown merchants to help support the city’s Main Street programming. In addition to promotional items, graphic design and branding experts at the Institute of Government created custom floor decals to encourage social distancing at downtown businesses. Following the delivery of the masterplan and promotional items, Institute designers have continued collaborating with local leaders, including creating a branded map for the city’s “When Walls Talk” historical walking tour. Funded by CARES Act tourism dollars allocated by McMinn County, these maps and two kiosks will be installed downtown in January 2021. On December 15, 2020, Mayor Chuck Burris and the Athens City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Athens Experience Masterplan as the blueprint for downtown development.
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Ringgold, GeorLa
ta r g e t e d t e c h n i c a l a s s i s ta n c e
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W
ith the support of the Lyndhurst Foundation, in 2019 designers and plan-
ners from the Institute of Government collaborated with officials from the City of Ringgold and the Ringgold DDA to develop site-specific plans to restore and revitalize properties in a former industrial area adjacent to the city’s historic depot. Ringgold worked with local architect Kenny McDade of KCP Architects to develop initial plans for the DDA-owned Benton Coal Building. These plans envisioned public restrooms and four new businesses in this central downtown property. Building on these initial
c o m m u n i t y pa r t n e r s City of Ringgold Dan Wright, City Manager Jamie Klementisz, Main Street Manager Stephen Middlebrooks, Parks & Recreation Director Mark Vahn, Water and Wastewater Director Greg Boss, Planning and Zoning Director Ringgold Mayor and City Council Nick Millwood, Mayor Kelly Bomar, Council Member Sara Clark, Council Member Randall Franks, Council Member John Haynes, Council Member
designs, Institute of Government design-
Rhonda Swaney, Council Member
ers developed exterior design concepts for
Ringgold Downtown Development Authority
DDA-owned buildings in the area known
Randall Franks, Chairman
as Depot Square. Plans developed for the
KCP Architects
city include an adjacent dining courtyard,
Kenny McDade
new pedestrian-friendly streetscaping and
SCH Engineering
public parking along Depot Street, and a
Long & Arnold Engineering
landscaped rear service alley with park-
CTI Engineers, Inc.
ing and pedestrian amenities. Plans also
Philip Schofield, P.E.
outlined the future location for additional
Special thanks to Terry Crawford, Retired
infill development and overflow parking.
Mayor Pro Tem
r e s u lt s
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ince 2019, the Depot Square project has seen a number of significant setbacks. From serious engineering challenges and escalating construction costs to a significant flash flood and the ongoing effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, development of Depot Square has faced a number of steep hurdles. Just as development of the project seemed on track and moving forward following the delivery of a workable hydrology study from CTI Engineering, the global COVID-19 pandemic stymied growing momentum. Dependent on funds from the city’s hotel/motel tax and in-person programming like the Haunted Depot, the fallout from the pandemic has continued to strain the revenues of the city’s DDA and the local government.
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Several areas along Old Alabama Road include detention basins and other stormwater infrastructure. Plants like muhly grass, Shenandoah switch grass, big bluestem, and sycamore trees could help transform stormwater detention areas into attractive bioswales capable of mitigating excess stormwater runoff.
Despite these challenges, the City of
design and technical assistance to make the
Ringgold, the Ringgold DDA, and local
Depot Square a reality.
partners have continued to move forward
In addition to design and technical assis-
with the project. In August 2020, the city
tance with the Depot Square development,
approved a task order for CTI Engineering
in 2020 planners and designers from the Carl
and Kenny McDade to update plans for the
Vinson Institute of Government created a
development including design and rehabil-
series of designs and a corridor planting
itation plans for the Benton Coal Building.
palette to inform beautification along Old
CTI Engineering and Kenny McDade will
Alabama Road (GA-151). These design
work together to coordinate the civil engi-
concepts illustrate enhancing this busy
neering, site design, and architecture of
commercial corridor with large-canopy street
the project. As specified in the task order
trees and vegetated bioswales to mitigate
approved by the city, CTI will work from
excessive stormwater runoff. Requested by
the plans developed by designers at the
local leaders and provided at no cost to
Institute of Government. As the pandemic
Ringgold or the foundation, designs for the
wanes over 2021 and beyond, design-
Old Alabama Road corridor are an example
ers from the Institute of Government will
of the continued support Institute designers provide to partner communities.
continue to assist Ringgold leaders with
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The Copper Basin ta r g e t e d t e c h n i c a l a s s i s ta n c e
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eginning in 2018, the Lyndhurst Foundation supported the first multi-city Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan in the Copper Basin communities of McCaysville, Copperhill, and
Ducktown. Citizens from across the Copper Basin, regional stakeholders, elected officials, and more came together to produce the Copper Basin Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan (RSVP). In a first-of-its-kind effort, Institute of Government planners and branding specialists worked with community members to develop a concise, unified community brand for the Copper Basin. Developed in tandem with the RSVP, this comprehensive branding strategy includes a branding usage guide, community and city logos, and a digital library of branding materials.
c o m m u n i t y pa r t n e r s Copper Basin Development Committee
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r e s u lt s
Recognizing the impact of the regional brand and community masterplan, in 2020 the Copper Basin received a Four for the Future Award from Georgia Trend magazine. This award recognizes communities and regions that have worked across public-private sector and nonprofit boundaries on challenging issues in ways that will lead to improved quality of life. Following completion of the RSVP, Institute designers and planners continued collaborating with community leaders on a variety of projects. In 2020, Institute designers worked with the Copper Basin Development Committee to develop a branded logo for the group. Formerly known as the Copper Basin Business Association, the new logo for the group prominently displays the unified community brand.
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Chickamauga, Georgia ta r g e t e d t e c h n i c a l a s s i s ta n c e
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These wayfinding signs created for the City of Chickamauga were installed by local officials in September 2020.
co m m u n i ty pa r t n e r s
promotion as well as context-sensitive wayfinding to bring more visitors downtown. With the support of the Lyndhurst Foundation, Institute of Government planners and designers developed unique, site-specific promotional
Betts Berry, Community Partner
materials and design concepts to support
City of Chickamauga
Chickamauga’s variety of events and continue
Micheal Haney, City Manager
building a community brand. Additionally,
Evitte Parrish, Council Member
Lyndhurst support in 2019 allowed for the creation of branded wayfinding signs.
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r e s u lt s
ince the development of the Lyndhurstsupported Chickamauga Downtown Renaissance Strategic Vision and
Plan (RSVP) in 2015, the city has made great
In 2020, Chickamauga continued installing
strides toward realizing residents’ vision of
branded wayfinding signs created in partner-
downtown as a vibrant hub of community life.
ship with the Institute of Government and the
With projects including an extension of the
Lyndhurst Foundation. Chickamauga ordered
Chickamauga Battlefield Connector Trail, the
and installed three new branded wayfinding
restoration of historic District Hill Cemetery,
signs in 2020.
and more, Lyndhurst Foundation support has allowed Institute planners and designers to continue working with Chickamauga to realize the vision outlined in the city’s 2015 RSVP plan. In 2019, the city and a planning team from the Institute of Government joined forces again to further develop community event branding and
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