Downtown Districts

Downtown Meridian is not one single-use district. It is composed of a number of distinct subdistricts whose activities vary substantially. Strategically, these subdistricts need to be organized so as to make land uses complementary and synergistic in serving target markets. The Downtown Marketing Strategy identifies six subdistricts that, for purposes of the strategy, require special development and regulatory treatment. They are:

 

Downtown District (Medium Density) (Meridian Road to 3rd Street and Railroad to Washington Avenue.) This district is the effective pedestrian-oriented commercial core of Meridian. Covering about 21 blocks, its total area is similar to that of other similar cities (PowerPoint 3.3MB) (PDF 2.9MB) studied to guide this project. The Downtown Marketing Strategy calls for focused development and promotion of this district as the City Center. Priority land uses outside the Historic Heart and Transit Village, will be specialty retail, retail services, professional services, government, and medium-high density residential.
  Historic Heart (Medium Density) (Meridian Road to 3rd Street and Railroad to State Avenue.) This district, wholly within the Downtown District, is the original downtown and contains most of the commercial historic fabric of the center. Its primary uses will be social retail, arts, culture, professional services (second floor), community services (e.g., nonprofit corporations), and medium density residential.
 

Transit Village (High Density) (Meridian Road to Baltic Place and Bower Avenue to Broadway Avenue.) This district will focus on opportunities related to its position along the future transit line planned for the railroad corridor. The Transit Village will develop as a business and cultural hub to the entire Treasure Valley. Government, professional services, higher education, high density residential, and retail linked to these uses will be emphasized. This area will be a major regional destination. Park-and-ride land use will be discouraged. Public transit stops for local buses will be designed into the district to strengthen its centrality as a regional hub.

  Residential Neighborhoods (Low-medium Density) (4th Street West to Meridian Road and Broadway to Cherry Lane; 3rd Street East to extension of Baltic Place; Meridian Road to 3rd Street East and Franklin Road to Bower Avenue). Most housing surrounding Downtown is single-family detached. While such low density is acceptable, medium density (e.g., townhouses and condominiums) are preferred, in keeping with Smart Growth principles. Medium densities will provide more markets for Downtown's high amenity goods and services, employees for city center businesses, and higher levels of use of the transit hub.
 

Commercial/Industrial (Medium Density) (4th Street West to Meridian Road and Franklin to Railroad; 3rd Street East to Baltic Place and Franklin to Railroad). These areas appear to be serving well as economic generators. It will be some time before city center development begins to conflict with the commercial and industrial activities resident here. For now, it is appropriate to leave land use alone here. However, property owners should be advised that redevelopment may be desirable and zoned appropriately in the next five to fifteen years. Meanwhile, it may be helpful to allow for special use permitting to enable property owners to modify land uses in keeping with Downtown District (or Transit Village District) priorities.

  System of Downtown Districts. The five districts above are highly complementary and can serve well as an integrated urban center system. Even the Commercial/Industrial district acts as a ready inventory of land to support future growth. Over the next ten-twenty years, the economy may take any number of turns that could lead this district to develop in a variety of useful ways.
  South End Commercial District (Medium Density) (I-84 Freeway to Franklin and Muscovy Avenue [approximately] to Stratford Drive). This district is currently developed as a mix of auto-oriented commercial, retail and office. The trend here has been toward strip development, with corresponding weaknesses (e.g., excessive curb cuts, multiple entries, islands of development inaccessible by foot, and heavy congestion). The district is the de facto gateway to the city center. Ideally, future development should be more in keeping with an urban center rather than regional strip. Development guidelines should encourage medium densities (including building heights allowing for four stories or higher), nodal or focused subdistricts (i.e., destinations), zero setbacks along major arterials with parking behind and preferably in the middle of the typically large blocks. (See Figure at left and Master Block Redevelopment District Graphic.)
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Urban Center Design with new buildings connected to sidewalks. This master block orienta-
tion is recommended for the South End Commercial District. It is consistent with Downtown Meridian development priorities.