City May Add Permanent Stage to Port Clinton Square

Downtown Highland Park is starting to look at multiple face-lifts to and the overall business district, according to a pair of reports presented to the City Council on Monday at its Committee of the Whole meeting. 

As Port Clinton enters its 30th year as an anchor in downtown Highland Park, the partnership between the city and Port Clinton Associates has turned the development into a “social success,” said , a partner in the venture.

Before council members, Strusiner outlined plans to upgrade the facility over the next two years and make needed changes. After Strusiner's presentation, updated the Council on the master plan for the central business district. 

While much of the work at Port Clinton would be related to the infrastructure, Strusiner proposed replacing the fountain with a permanent raised stage on the north side of Buhai Plaza. The new configuration would allow people in the square as well as those along Central Avenue to enjoy the entertainment. 

“When I asked about the temporary stage I was told the city spends too much time putting it up, taking it down and putting it up again," Strusiner said. "So I thought, 'What if we had a permanent structure in place of the fountain?'"

Not only would the structure be a permanent home for the city’s Thursday night concerts and other events throughout the year, its new position would open up the area to more people. 

“Putting it here [the north end] would open the music up to people on both sides of Central Avenue,” Strusiner said, noting how the addition of 14 tables this summer had increased use of the square fore business meetings and family events. 

In addition to reshaping of Buhai Plaza, Strusiner proposed extensive work to the parking garage, from safety needs such as seal coating to beam reinforcement to more aesthetic changes such as graphics.

“You’re underground there and some people don’t know what direction is north,” Strusiner said about the signage. “We want to take the garage much further and create a theme like the directional signs at O’Hare.” 

Strusiner showed slides of aging pipes in need of work. Many of the pipes are needed to support the fountain, which would be removed under the permanent stage idea. 

“This is wonderful,” said after the presentation. “The way it lays out on the plaza is very nice.”

City Manager Dave Limardi said the city’s contribution to the project would be included in the 2012 and 2013 budgets. 

In addition to Port Clinton project, the city is going ahead with plans to make a Request for Proposal to hire a consultant to help the city update its master plan for the central business district. 

“This is where you want to be as we head into the next 30 years,” Blue said.

The report is another public private partnership between the city and the Downtown Property Owner’s Association. Each group will bear half the cost of the study.

The city has set a Sept. 1 deadline to receive proposals from consultants, will begin interviewing prospects after Sept. 15 and intends to sign a contract by Oct. 1, according to Blue. By Dec. 1 the city expects a preliminary report with a final report due Jan. 15.