For Immediate Release Contact: Jana Ecker, Planning Director 248-530-1841 (Birmingham) Mark Miller, Planning Director 248-524-3367 (Troy) Cities of Birmingham and Troy Join Forces for Transportation Transit-Oriented Design Community Visioning BIRMINGHAM, MI – A team of architects, planners, designers, and transportation specialists will be in Birmingham on June 15 - 16 for an intensive, inclusive, two-day public design session, or ’charrette’, to create a plan for the Transit-Oriented District, which encompasses property in both Birmingham and Troy. The study area includes the area east of Adams between Maple and Lincoln in Birmingham and the area in Troy designated as The Transit Center in the City of Troy Master Plan. The two cities have been working together to create a plan that will encourage Transit Oriented Development (TOD) within the area, and to build a regional transit center along Doyle Drive. “The goal of the design charrette,” says Planning Director Jana Ecker, “is to involve citizens, City staff and all other interested parties in the design of this district from the beginning, to hear people‘s points of view, and to create a plan that will meet with the city’s approval.” The two-day event will include informational briefings, walking tours, and interviews with various District stakeholders, including residents, building owners and developers. Throughout the two days, concepts will be developed based on input received, which will then be presented to the general public on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 7:00pm. On Monday, SEMCOG will be hosting a luncheon with Keynote Speaker Carmine Palombo, Director of Transportation Programs. In addition, tickets will be available for lunch on Tuesday, which is being hosted by the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber and the Troy Chamber, with Keynote Speaker John Hertel, CEO of Detroit Regional Mass Transit. The team will establish a design studio and gallery of on-going work at The Reserve Banquet Facility located at 325 S. Eton, Birmingham. The design charrette will be open to the public at all times. Each evening, there will be an open public review of the day’s work. The plans, drawings, traffic analyses and other ideas developed during the day will be pinned up on the wall, described to the community, and feedback will be invited. Plans will be reviewed and revised daily, so that problems can be aired, solutions found, and the design improved. The closing presentation will outline the land use and urban design concepts, and public comment is again invited. For more information, visit the City of Birmingham website at www.bhamgov.org or the City of Troy website at www.troymi.gov.
Invitation & Complete ScheduleFor more information please visit: www.15miletransit.org