The City Council received a briefing at Monday’s meeting from Development Services staff regarding the City’s three existing Enhancement Areas to establish a baseline understanding of each area.
These areas and their previously approved visions are:
- West Spring Valley Corridor: The purpose of the West Spring Valley Planned Development District is to create a place that draws people of all backgrounds and ages with its many quality housing choices, desirable shops and restaurants, attractive natural areas, easy transportation connections and a distinctive people-oriented urban character that connects Richardson’s past with its vibrant and sustainable future.
- Main Street/Central Expressway Corridor: The vision of the Main Street area of the district is one that represents the historic Downtown of Richardson. While the City does not have a traditional “Central Business District,” the identification and support of this unique area could help strengthen community identity, cohesiveness, and pride. Redevelopment as a pedestrian-oriented district, with a mix of commercial, office, and residential uses that preserve the scale and character of the old street grid, is a possibility. Buildings should include small-scale retail uses in ground level space in buildings with two or more stories. Building height should be limited to three to four stories to enhance the pedestrian character of the district and to respect the proximity of nearby residential neighborhoods. In addition, with the enhancement and redevelopment of the Central Expressway area, the area should include new and renovated office space, upgraded retail centers, and additional hospitality uses. Mixed-use development may be appropriate at major intersections and adjacent to the Spring Valley rail transit station.
- Collins/Arapaho area: The vision for the Collins/Arapaho Transit-Oriented Development and Innovation District is for the district to be the premier tech hub in Texas. To achieve this, the district will provide a place where a range of businesses across industries and at different points in their growth can thrive, support existing businesses while attracting new ones, continue to be a center for innovation and entrepreneurship, be lively and active, be visually unique and green, be walkable and bikeable, and to have the Station area serve as the principal Gateway to the district.
Council was supportive of the existing visions for each of the three areas. Staff will take the feedback it received Monday night and come back before Council at a future date to discuss land uses and other considerations in each of the three areas.
