Downtown Waterfront Redevelopment Plan - City of Alma

Downtown Waterfront Brownfield ProjectC. Generalized Land Use AreasIn response to the community’s desire to see a mix of site uses, rather than a single use, three generalized landuse areas were identified: primarily residential, primarily commercial, and public open space. In addition toreflecting the community’s vision, these districts were also shaped by site contamination conditions.Housing is clearly a priority community goal. The Master Plan designates housing at locations with manageablecontamination levels. Two potential soil and groundwater contamination areas with the highest exceedencelevels were left as part of the open space plan for development. The western medium density residential districtis the largest and, due to its size and orientation, offers the most flexibility in terms of phasing. The far easternresidential district presents a transition land use from the adjacent mixed-use commercial district along theWoodworth Street frontage.The mixed-use commercial district encompasses the node at the corner of State and Mechanic Streets. Clusteringdevelopment at this corner provides an appropriate “gateway” to the project from the Central BusinessDistrict core. The visual character and diversity of uses encouraged in this district will create the perception ofthe riverfront development as a place.Open space along the river corridor is the thread of public realm that ties the districts together, and passivelydeals with high contamination levels at this location. In addition, this open space connects the land usesproposed to the broader community surrounding the site. The potential for regional linkages to non-motorizedtransportation networks is further enhanced by providing an open space corridor at the river’s edge.LegendMedium Density ResidentialMixed Use Commercial / ResidentialProposed Open SpaceLand Use Map38