Purpose

The City of Denton invites qualified consultants to submit their qualifications to assist in the Downtown Master Plan Update. The city needs to confirm if the vision and goals for Downtown are still relevant today and for the near future. The existing Downtown Master Plan is 20 years old and the subsequent Downtown Implementation Plan (DTIP) is 12 years old. The Downtown Master Plan and DTIP directs public and private investments in Downtown hence why the city still needs to make sure the vision and goals are still valid. Additionally, the city needs to evaluate if the Downtown should be expanded in size to maximize future opportunities, identify additional open space, increase housing choices, enhance mobility connectivity, and balance development while protecting existing neighborhoods and historic resources. The project will be managed by the City's Development Services Department.

Background

On March 22, 2022 the City Council adopted an ordinance that approved an update to the city's Comprehensive Plan (Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan). Throughout the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council work session presentations related to the update, Area Plans were discussed as a solution to address local challenges and were identified as one of the Commission's and Council's implementation priorities. Area Plans allow for a more detailed analysis of a given area within the framework of the Denton 2040 Comprehensive Plan. These types of Plans provide the ability to address more refined and specific planning and development challenges, as well as enhance potential opportunities, at a scale more specific to a given area. One of the focus areas that the Commission and Council identified was Downtown Denton.

The City of Denton was established in 1857 and incorporated in 1866 at the location where today's Downtown area is located. Denton's development began in the Downtown area, surrounding the Square. Growth initially was agricultural, with some focus on light industry, such as mills and cottage industries. In the late nineteenth century, residential development began west of Downtown where estates were built in what are now Historic Districts. Soon commercial areas and institutions of higher education were established. Growth during this time remained centered around Downtown. The 1960s marked the beginning of a substantial boom for Denton. Annexed areas away from the Downtown increased the City's land area and city streets and block patterns began to deviate from the historic grid form found in the Downtown area. In the late twentieth century, Denton began redeveloping and conserving its older areas, especially those near the Downtown and its two universities (Texas Woman's University and University of North Texas). Denton has three protected neighborhoods: Oak-Hickory Historic District, West Oak Area Historic District, and Bell Avenue Historic District near the Downtown area. While Denton has grown from a city of 26,844 people in 1960 to a population of 148,146 in 2021, the Downtown continues to be the heart of Denton, functioning as the city's cultural, social, and historic center.

In 2002, the city approved a Downtown Master Plan (aka Area Plan) for the Downtown area, comprising approximately 440 acres and generally bounded by University Drive to the north, Bell Avenue to the east, Eagle Drive to the south and Carroll Boulevard to the west. The Master Plan includes a vision for the Downtown, walkability, parking and transportation analyses, street cross-sections, transit opportunities, economic analysis, sub-area evaluation and recommended strategies, before and after renderings, implementation actions, partnerships, and financial tools. The Master Plan calls for balance - a desire to encourage development with an interest to ensure that proper designs are used.

In 2010, the city approved a Downtown Implementation Plan (DTIP) containing recommendations and actions to implement the Downtown Master Plan. The DTIP is divided into five elements: land use, parking, parks/open space, architectural guidelines, and street standards, which help to organize and detail the recommendations. While most of the recommendations and actions have been acted upon, some initiatives have not been implemented. The DTIP study area encompasses approximately 155 acres, which corresponds with the "Downtown Core" area identified in the Downtown Master Plan. The DTIP study area is generally bounded by: Withers Street to the north, Exposition Street to the east, Sycamore Street to the south, and Carroll Boulevard to the west.

Why Update the Downtown Master Plan?

There is a need to update the Downtown Denton Master Plan and the DTIP to create a new set of priorities with an emphasis on expanding the Downtown area in size to maximize future opportunities, identifying additional open space, increasing housing choices, enhancing mobility connectivity, and balancing development while protecting existing neighborhoods and historic resources. An update to the Downtown Master Plan and the DTIP should also address parking, historic preservation, walkability, and the compatibility of new infill development and the adaptive re-use of underutilized buildings.

Downtown continues to be a draw for its tourism, entertainment, cultural activities and more. Without continued investment in Downtown, future growth and improvements are limited. A comprehensive approach to Downtown is needed to continue its success, create new public-private partnerships, and identify infrastructure needs for the future. The Comprehensive Plan recommends updating the Downtown Master Plan and DTIP.

Goal and Objectives

The goal of the Downtown Master Plan Update is to evaluate and confirm the vision for the Downtown and surrounding area, as well as set clear policy direction and supporting implementation strategies, that will continue the economic growth of Downtown, enhance pedestrian experience, and preserve the character of the Downtown. The implementation strategies identified shall be consistent with the vision, prioritized, timeframe outlined, responsibilities assigned accordingly, and financial resources identified to ensure that implementation is achievable. The implementation strategies must also include ways to evaluate and measure progress.

Opportunities and Challenges

From confirming the vision for Downtown to identifying and leveraging existing assets and opportunities to including appropriate implementations strategies, there are multiple opportunities to build on the success of the Downtown. The list below represents the opportunities that the City would like to further explore, as well as any other opportunities that may be identified throughout this project.

1. Confirm the Vision for Downtown
2. Create a Comprehensive Master Plan for Downtown
3. Expand Open Space Opportunities
4. Promote Economic Development
5. Promote Transit-Oriented Development near DCTA Station
6. Manage the need for Parking
7. Drainage
8. Enhance Mobility Plan for Utility Infrastructure and other Public Service Needs
9. Continue to improve Public Safety
10. Enhance the Downtown through Urban Design
11. Historic Preservation

Many of the opportunities previously identified are based on existing challenges staff has identified. Those challenges include: lack of walkability in certain areas; need for additional pedestrian lighting; limited open space south of Downtown; lack of gathering places; poor roadway conditions; and aging infrastructure within the study area. Other challenges include: underutilized buildings and properties south of Downtown due to the existing floodway and floodplain; pedestrian mobility across the railroad lines from the east side of Downtown; and land use compatibility challenges where proposed land uses affect the character of adjacent established residential neighborhoods (Southeast Denton, Stroud and Pierce, Bolivar and Anna, and Austin and Oakland Street Neighborhoods). Additionally, nearby neighborhoods may be concerned with gentrification as areas within the Downtown area experience potential increase in property values and reinvestment.