Branson's downtown streetscape project moves forward

The Branson Board of Aldermen last night approved a steering committee’s recommendations for the city’s $5 million downtown streetscape project, taking a step toward construction drawings and bidding.

A seven-member steering committee led by alderman Cris Bohinc has met since January, when aldermen finalized a consulting contract with Crawford, Murphy & Tilley Inc. CMT was selected out of three finalists in fall 2012 to spearhead the design work to revamp historic downtown Branson.

The contract’s first phase, which wrapped up with the steering committee’s recommendation, involved analyses of parking, branding, way-finding, pedestrian access, drainage and construction phasing. With Branson aldermen approval in two weeks, the five-year project would move into the next phase for drafting construction drawings, said Garrett Anderson, the city’s economic development director.

“They’re moving from the community visioning stage to the actual construction drawings and the designing of the work,” Anderson said, noting first on the docket are street and sidewalk improvements encircling Commercial, College, Veterans and Pacific streets. “That’s going to be the first area of downtown to receive the new streetscapes.”

Anderson said the city should issue construction bids this fall for work to begin in early 2014.

“Between January and spring break, the traffic is slow enough and gives us a good window for construction,” he said. “That’s the primary time we want to use for the next five years so that during the summer months (tourists) don’t have to bother with the construction in the way.”

A key part of the plan is connecting guests at Branson Landing and Lake Taneycomo to the downtown area. Anderson said roadway entrances from Highway 65 and Branson Landing will have gateway features to announce the downtown presence.

“This is a special place worth recognizing,” he said.

A final vote to initiate the engineering/construction drawing phase is expected at Branson’s Oct. 8 aldermen meeting.