Plans Unveiled For City Dock Transformation

Less parking, more green space and an outdoor dining area next to the Market House are all part of a committee's plans for the transformation of City Dock.

Chris Jakubiak, an urban planner hired by the city, said the goal is to take the public's feedback from its last public meeting on Friday and incorporate those comments into a final plan to be presented to the City Council in November.

Jakubiak has been working with the 25-member City Dock Advisory Committee, which lawmakers created in 2010. It's goal is to re-envision the downtown City Dock area. 

If you couldn't make it to the meeting on Thursday night, here's an overview of the key changes the committee proposed:

Eliminate Memorial Circle
Jakubiak said the plan is to convert the tree-filled circle into a standard T-intersection because it increases "the amount of space that we can devote to public open space, and it improves traffic efficiency."

Cut City Dock Parking in Half
The plan calls for the reduction of parking on Dock Street from 199 spots down to 90. The parking spaces are slated to become parks and pedestrian walkways. Jakubiak said there are plans to possibly have valet parking in the 54 spots left next to Susan Campell Park for special events in order to increase the amount of available spaces during peak usage.

Raise Susan Campell Park
The plans would resdesign the park at the tip of Dock Street and raise it above the flood zone so that trees and plants could be planted.

Build Outdoor Seating Area Next to Market House
The plans call for the extension of the space next to Market House to create an outdoor seating area. Jakubiak called the area "a really important space to enliven and activate the Market House. You could buy food, sit outside and eat it, or you could hold special events there."

Relocate the Harbormaster’s Building
The plans call for relocating the Harbormaster’s Building and incorporating it into a new four to five story building that would replace Phillips Crab Deck. Jakubiak said this would give visitors downtown a better sight line of the water. The crab deck property belongs to the National Sailing Center and Hall of Fame, which plans to convert the space into a museum as soon as it can raise the funds.

Redevelop Additional Dock Street Properties
The plans also include redeveloping 110 Dock St. Jakubiak wants the building to "go taller and essentially build on the same footprint." He envisions a restaurant and shopping on the ground floor with apartments or condos above. He also suggested parking be provided for the building in a private, internal garage. 

What do you think about the plans?