SALISBURY — The city of Salisbury has set a series of drop-in information sessions for Tuesday, July 23, to allow the public to provide input on the planned 2025 downtown streetscape construction project.

There will be six 45-minute sessions from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with 15 minutes in between each session, according to a news release from the city. The meetings are open to public and will be held at city hall, located at 217 S. Main St.

Every meeting will focus on a different area of the Main Street Project:

• 9:30 to 10:15 a.m.: Horah to Bank streets
• 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.: Bank to Fisher streets
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.: Fisher to Innes streets
• 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.: Open
• 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.: Innes to Council streets
• 1:45 to 2:30 p.m.: Council to Liberty streets
• 2:45 to 3:30 p.m.: Liberty to Kerr streets

“We invite people to, if they’re able to, attend a section that aligns to the block that is most associated with them. City hall is the second block of the project, so we’d be in the second time block of the day. We have the opportunity for more directed questions at that time, because if there’s a group of neighbors all in one room they can all ask about what applies to them. But if that time doesn’t work for you, you’re welcome to attend any of the sessions throughout the day,” said Sada Troutman, downtown development director for Downtown Salisbury, Inc, during the city council meeting on Tuesday.

The Main Street Project proposes upgrades to the safety, mobility and appearance of the six blocks of Main Street between Kerr and Horah streets. Proposed upgrades include additional on-street parking and handicap parking, pedestrian lighting, improved streetscape amenities including American with Disabilities Act requirements and outdoor dining.

The project is the subject of a grant that was awarded to the city by the Cabarrus-Rowan Metropolitan Planning Organization in June of 2023. The grant totaled $9,283,444, with $7,426,755 being fully reimbursed to the city once the project is completed. The remaining $1,856,689 was required to be matched by the city.

This project has been in the works in some form since 2019, when the city first requested design plans to improve the safety, mobility and appearance of a 10 block section of Main Street.

In 2021, a Main Street concept plan was presented to city council that looked at a number of other North Carolina cities who have followed similar plans successfully that included items like bike lanes, which called for reducing travel lanes from four to three, and creating bump-outs alongside restaurants to create side-walk dining. The goal has been to improve the safety and flow of traffic, to encourage pedestrian use of sidewalks and to create a space where visitors want to spend time.

“(The city council) approved the concept plan in March of 2021. That remains the basis for the construction design drawings that were given to the design firm, and that’s what we’re working off of. The goal of Tuesday’s public session is to share the current 90 percent plans as well as remind stakeholders of the plans that were approved in 2021. We’ll have graphics on Tuesday and we’ll be able to let people ask questions and really dig into the placement of different elements of the construction, such as bump-outs or trees. They’ll be able to take a look at that with our design firm and be able to ask questions about use, access and other elements they may need to understand,” said Troutman.

Feedback and comments can also be sent in a pre-addressed feedback form that can be mailed to City Transportation Director Wendy Brindle or via email at wbrin@salisburync.gov or the Main Street Project Input Form. The pre-addressed form is accessible online at salisburync.gov/mainstreet, or in person at city hall.