Vision for the future of Aggieville is formulated

The City of Manhattan is leading an initiative to implement a community-wide vision for the future development of Aggieville as a historic, pedestrian-orientated urban district that offers diverse shopping, dining, entertainment, and residential opportunities to students, visitors and the broader community. The planning process beginning in spring of 2016 resulted in a document outlining a clear direction for future development and civic improvements in the district.

Manhattan's Public Information Officer, Vivienne Uccello said work in the Aggieville area is ongoing and will continue for the next several years. The first round of improvements along 12th Street and nearly completed and the parking garage in Aggieville is scheduled to be complete in March of 2022.

At the March 9 work session, Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers presented information to the City Commission about the next round of Aggieville improvement projects which includes North Manhattan Avenue from Bluemont Avenue to Fremont Street.  These improvements will consist of water, storm water, street, sidewalks, lighting, streetscape and landscaping on North Manhattan Avenue from Bluemont Avenue to Fremont Street.

The intent with this design is to start construction on North Manhattan Avenue in late summer/early fall of this year so the completion of this segment of roadway coincides with the completion of the parking garage.  The construction from Laramie Street to Moro Street is especially important to position the parking garage access and use in the years to come as other segments of improvements occur within the Aggieville district within the next 5 years.   City Administration is attempting to address all the underground utilities on North Manhattan Avenue effectively and efficiently. 

In addition to the Aggieville portion of North Manhattan Avenue, the City has also entered a design contract with Olsson for a City/University project to fully signalize the intersections of North Manhattan Avenue at Vattier, Thurston, and Petticoat streets.

With that project, the design contract has been amended to include a two-way protected bike lane that connects to Aggieville from Claflin Road through the Bluemont & North Manhattan Avenue intersection. It will continue the two-protected bike lane north on North Manhattan Avenue from Bluemont Avenue to Claflin Road.  This would make a physical bicycle connection from the North Campus Corridor, through mid-campus and south through Aggieville to the Linear Trail at the South Manhattan Avenue connection, including the wide paved path through City Park.

Parking in the area is also a major concern. Walker Parking Consultants have proposed a parking management plan for the Aggieville district.  The plan highlights the technology available today with license plate recognition (LPR).  Walker highlights the enforcement technology and the hours of enforcement, along with cost recovery rate analysis in the draft plan.