Downtown Riverfront Improvements
Phase 1
Welcome to the Union Ave Open House!
Check out the open house video below, which introduces the two roadway design options. Be sure to give your feedback using the online comment card!
Downtown Riverfront Improvements Project Overview
The City of Fergus Falls has begun the design development process for Phase 1 improvements to the Downtown Riverfront. This project is intended to begin the transformation of the Fergus Falls Riverfront into a community asset that: strengthens downtown businesses and attracts new investments; creates a vibrant gathering place with multiple uses; and continues to attract visitors to our community. This will build upon work completed in the 2017 Downtown & Riverfront Master Plan – it is anticipated that construction of this phase will occur in 2019/2020.
West Block Preferred Concept
East Block Preferred Concept
Vision
- Fergus Falls seeks to transform our downtown and riverfront into a vibrant gathering place that integrates our unique river, downtown, outdoor recreation activities, heritage, and civic pride. We seek to transform our downtown and riverfront into a place that:
- Celebrates the unique character of Fergus Falls’ downtown, Otter Tail River, natural landscape, and heritage;
- Provides views and access to the river and its key features, such as the falls, for people of all ages and abilities;
- Creates attractive opportunities for riverfront dining, entertainment, arts, and civic destinations;
- Supports a wide variety of outdoor recreation activities, including walking, biking, boating, fishing, birding, picnicking, etc.;
- Offers desirable housing options for all stages of life;
- Draws visitors to Fergus Falls’ downtown and river environment;
- Attracts new investment, redevelopment, and tax base to the community.
Guiding Principles
- Promote improvements and redevelopment in downtown to make it a destination downtown district for its unique river, heritage, arts, cultural, dining, and recreation assets.
- Create a recreational riverfront through downtown for walking, bicycling, river-oriented recreation, and public gathering that attract residents and visitors to come down to the river.
- Relocate parking areas away from the riverfront to enable new riverfront buildings, public open spaces, and trails.
- Manage downtown public parking to improve and balance convenience, ease of finding, land use efficiency, and impact on the riverfront.
- Improve downtown streets, street crossings, and public open spaces to be more attractive, convenient, comfortable, and desirable for walking, bicycling, and gathering.
- Attract new downtown housing development and an increased variety of housing options to enable more people to live downtown and near the riverfront.