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It's
called the ripple effect. All of downtown Dubuque
is abuzz with activity and energy stemming from the promise
of the coming America's River Project. From the City of Dubuque's
plans to recover the brownfields areas on the other side of
the Ice Harbor (Port of Dubuque), to the renovation of historic
and run down buildings throughout the downtown area, Dubuque
is alive again. Brownfields
are areas of urban decay ripe for renovation and revitalization.
They have already been developed once and are now in a state
of ill repair or vacancy. Greenfields are as yet undeveloped
land such as farm fields, prairie, or the like.
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Reclaiming
and revitalizing brownfields is vital for any mature urbanized
area and is a real symbol of healthy economic growth. It also
combats the problem of urban sprawl which is just now beginning
in the Dubuque area. It is important to keep the vital lifeblood
of downtown Dubuque pumping and growing rather than losing
our city's identity in favor of strip malls and convenience
stores.
The Port
of Dubuque area on the north side of the harbor will receive
nearly all of the attention (and money) being put forth for
initial redevelopment. The city of Dubuque has not forgotten
the rest of the area; however, and has long-range plans for
a multiphase revitalization effort to renew a large portion
of Dubuque's river bordering property. In the near future,
Dubuque365.com hopes to bring you details of these plans in
an additional featured area. (I guess we're going to need
to make room up top for another button!) But for now, rest
assured that there are indeed well-developed plans for not
only the south side of the Ice Harbor, but the entire area
known as downtown Dubuque.
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Evidence of
the forthcoming renewal of downtown is already here. The style of
pavement, brickwork, and decorative lamps, benches, and waste cans
along Eighth Street from Locust to Iowa Streets as well as in the
Municipal Parking Lot across the street from the New Chamber of
Commerce building at the corner of Third and Main, will be carried
throughout the downtown area. Watch for brick-paved sidewalks, café
style seating, and decorative, historically accurate lighting fixtures
to adorn many of downtown Dubuque's main corridors.
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The Main
Street reconstruction project taking place between Fifth and
Ninth streets has been a topic of much discussion for the past
couple years. The Town Clock Plaza area is being returned to
an open street as it once was. The idea of a pedestrian plaza
was once very attractive for downtown Dubuque but has never
shown success. Opening Main Street will allow access through
the heart of downtown Dubuque without taking multiple turns
to get from one end of Main to the other. This will straighten
out the Parade route in town and allow visitors to our city
to find the Third Street overpass much more easily when coming
from the north side of downtown. It will also allow for economic
growth, especially in the form of retail and tourist trade to
spread more easily and coherently down the up the Main Street
corridor. |
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| Through
a partnership with the City of Dubuque and Durrant
Architects, Dubuque365.com created the Main Street
Reconstruction Website. This is a resource to assist
residents and others to understand the project,
it's phases and purpose, as well as follow the
progress of construction and ask questions about
the construction effort. It features regular photographic
and descriptive updates as well as feature segments
detailing everything from architectural drawings
of the whole area down to decorative designs for
planters and bicycle racks. Now completed, you
may still visit this special feature as a historical
archive. Click
Here and visit the site today! |
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Weber Paper
on Old Main Street
Construction
of Bricktown Brewery |
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Ripple Effect has been most evident
thus far in private business
citing the boom of economic development
on Main Street from First to
Fourth Street. Often referred
to as Old Main, this area has
seen the addition of numerous
businesses, mostly tailored toward
entertainment and dining in the
last year or two and more are
on the way. Property values in
the area have jumped as entrepreneurs
are staking claims in historic
buildings on both sides of the
street. While some of the smaller
buildings are renovating into
specialty shops and high scale
loft apartments like the Main
Gallery and the Pepper
Sprout Restaurant, the larger
buildings have been purchased
by development partnerships to
create multi-use income centers.
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Pepper Sprout Restaurant
During Remodeling |
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Cooper Wagon Works is the first
example of this type of redevelopment
to take shape on Old Main. Home
to the Bricktown Brewery and
Restaurant as well as the bars
The
Underground, and the Stonewall,
the building will eventually
also feature a reception hall
and two full floors of office
rental space. Developers are
also courting the city to do
similar renovations to the structure
known as the Weber Paper Building.
Other recent additions to the
area include the successful Busted
Lift Irish Pub, which despite
a recent fire, is soon
to expand both upwards and the
the south, The Dubuque Area
Chamber of Commerce's new structure,
which replaces the old Merchant's
Hotel, Grape
Harbor wine store, Plane
Art Designs screen printers,
My Backyard garden and decor
shop, and more. There are also
plans in the works for a bakery,
another nightspot in the Ice
Harbor Imporium Building, and
plenty of other rumors circulating.
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Developers
renovate warehouse space. |
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The
unfortuneate loss of one of lower Main Street's
most popular establishments, The Silver Dollar
Cantina, victim of a billowing fire on a cool autumn
morning, was a setback for the revitalization of
entertainment and nightlife in the area. The Chamber
of Commerce had been open less than a month directly
next door but was undamaged by the catastrophy.
The historic fecade of the German Bank, the building
the cantina resided in, was also left intact. It
looks, however, that the building's interior will
be rebuilt and hopefully we will have the Dollar
back serving great tex-mex food again one day soon. |
The
Chamber
Building is on the corner of Third and main, an intersection
that features the bridge to the Port of Dubuque and the
America's River Project. Also housing the Greater
Dubuque Development Corporation and the Dubuque Welcome
Center, the placement of the building is a vote of confidence
for the success of the region adjacent to the Port of
Dubuque. A large parking ramp has also been built behind
the new Chamber building. It serves the parking needs
of the many businesses opening in the lower Main Street
area as well as many more still to come. It features
an entrance on Main Street designed to blend into the
historical look of the street.
Just
two blocks west of the Chamber Building is the
historic Cable
Car Square District. Home to America's shortest
steepest railway, it is also Dubuque's most
famous congregation of specialty shops, serving
the discriminating tastes of tourists. Cable
Car Square has also provided wonderful gifts
and relaxing afternoons to Dubuque residents
for many years. Although the area has been a
difficult place to open a specialty shop in
the past few years, it appears poised to be
one of the booming commerce areas of downtown
Dubuque when the America's River tourist rush
begins. Look for the storefronts along Bluff
Street to become prized commodities in the near
future.
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Where
the ripple effect will take us in the future, we do not
know for sure. In many ways the America's River Project
will be a "hang on for the ride and see what happens"
kind of venture for business entrepreneurs. What is sure
is that it will be an interesting thing to watch.
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