Cairo residents give input on possible comprehensive plan

CAIRO, Ill. -- Residents gathered Thursday night for round two in creating a comprehensive plan for the city.

The city is receiving help from GCR Inc., an economic development planning firm that helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The firm already has gathered data and is working with the public to determine the biggest areas of concern and what people believe are Cairo's biggest assets.

The last public meeting was in June, and more than 50 people attended. The most recent meeting had about 20 people attending, but each person was engaged in creating a long-term plan to improve the town they call home.

Through group activities and discussions, attendees reviewed maps indicating land and building use and determined where they would like to see change. They also considered which areas they believed might be best to house new industrial or commercial activity.

Project manager Dwight Norton said input is vital to ensure the plan reflects the needs and wants of the town and that residents know they have a voice in the plan.

"[This meeting] is designed to help us understand what the priorities are," Norton said.

He said the long-range plan may not include some items people perceive as immediate needs for the city, but such planning served an important purpose.

"Any long-term effort starts with a single step," he told the crowd.

After the plan is complete, Norton said it will help alleviate some of the broader concerns shared by many residents. After the last meeting, he said the development group saw that street conditions, safety and economic development topped the list of biggest issues. As for assets, people seemed to hold the city's history in high regard.

To determine which of these matters seemed to be the biggest priority, people were asked to rank 10 "transformative projects." They included improvements to U.S. 51; creating park space in front of either the Mississippi or Ohio rivers; revitalizing Eighth Street in downtown; and the creation of a community center.

The community center was one of the most popular ideas at the previous meeting, Norton said.

Mayor Tyrone Coleman said he was happy to see people so involved in efforts to revitalize Cairo. Like Norton, he said it was important that many people attend the meetings and help make the plan a reality.

"Generally, people wait to see something happen, something tangible," said Coleman. "Then, once it's something they can actually see and touch, more people start to come and attach themselves and join in."

But the plan needs more than input to succeed, he added. Coleman said it's important for the people to hold local government accountable and do its part to continue moving the city forward. He said only one council member has attended either of the public meetings.

The next public meeting has not been scheduled. GCR will present a final plan to the Cairo City Council in November for consideration and possible adoption.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cairo, IL