BEDFORD — More than 100 Bedford residents shared their visions for the future of the town during a community meeting Wednesday concerning the redevelopment of the downtown district.
The public input meeting at the Bedford Science and Technology Center at 600 Edmund St. is part of a local initiative — the Bedford School-to-School Area Plan — to create a proposal to revitalize the area.
Bedford’s Economic Development Coordinator Mary Zirkle said the initiative began in October 2017, when a group of residents around the north end of Bridge Street started talking about what would happen to Bedford Middle School after it closes at the end of the school year and its students move to the newly constructed Liberty Middle School just east of Liberty High School on Liberty Minuteman Drive.
“People wanted to bring together resources to redevelop areas that aren’t living up to their full potential,” Zirkle said Wednesday.
Zirkle said the town in 2017 used funds from an Environmental Protection Agency grant to hire Greenville, South Carolina-based consulting firm Arnett Muldow & Associates to conduct an economic assessment of what is needed along the corridor based on what currently is in the plan’s area.
“The town contributed by using the grant funds to conduct the economic assessment,” Zirkle said. “But this isn’t a town project … this is a community project.”
Aaron Arnett, with Arnett Muldow & Associates, presented the results of the economic assessment during Wednesday’s meeting.
“We have identified various retail and commercial opportunities as well as residential,” Arnett said.
He said the study revealed there is demand for at least 73,000 square feet of commercial development in the Bedford market area.
“And that is a conservative estimate,” Arnett said. “The demand is here.”
Arnett said potential businesses that would be in demand according to the study include:
- clothing stores,
- grocery stores,
- restaurants,
- bars and
- sporting goods stores.
Arnett said the redevelopment of the old Bedford Middle School will be “key” to the area’s redevelopment efforts.
“That is going to be the catalyst for what happens downtown,” Arnett said. “It will spur future development.”
After Arnett’s presentation, consultants from Roanoke-based community planning firm Hill Studio did a series of exercises with people attending the meeting in order to get public input on what town residents envision for Bedford’s future.
“We are here to hear about what you want,” urban designerJosephine Arbaugh said. “What do you see in the future of downtown? What are your needs?”
Bobbie Daniels, 21, said she would like to see an emphasis on alternate forms of transportation.
“I would like for people to be able to skateboard, bike and walk through the whole town,” Daniels said. “I would like it to be easier for people to get around.”
John Mack, 76, said he would like to see public transportation for the town’s senior population.
“We need to promote some means of transportation,” Mack said. “We have a lot of senior citizens here, and I would like the town to make it easier for them to get around.”
Other ideas from the meeting included:
- greenways,
- an outdoor music venue,
- a splash park,
- a trolley system,
- areas for outside dining and
- a movie theater.
Zirkle said a strategic development plan could be completed by the end of August. The development plan then will be brought before Bedford Town Council for consideration, she said.
“We are hoping the town council will make it part of the town’s comprehensive plan,” Zirkle said. “The consultants are going to come up with some concepts based on the input here tonight and bring them back to the public for additional input before a final plan is completed.
“We still have some work to do on this, but we are off to a wonderful start after tonight,” she said.
Bedford resident Jonathan Hayden agreed.
“If we want to see growth we need to hear from everyone in town instead of just focusing on one group,” he said. “That’s what we have here tonight … people of different age groups and different races coming together and communicating.”