Denison’s Main Street Advisory Board is set to vote on a comprehensive downtown work plan for 2027, a move city leaders say will shape the next decade of the city’s core. According to Denison Weekly, the board will convene at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, at City Hall, 300 W. Main St., to approve the plan and its “transformation strategies” for the upcoming year.
The plan, prepared by Main Street Director Donna Dow and dated Nov. 10, is organized around three themes: streetscape improvements, family‑friendly entertainment, and a healthy, clean, and safe downtown. Under the streetscape theme, officials will continue work on the “Designing Downtown Denison” streetscape project, which began in May 2024 and is slated to run through 2028. The plan defines success as, among other goals, completing a convention center on the 700 block of Main Street in the project’s third phase.
Entertainment‑focused priorities aim for 93% occupancy of ground‑floor spaces and call for recruiting restaurants, nightlife venues, and family‑oriented businesses. Specific actions include finalizing a Vacant Building Ordinance and presenting it to the City Council, creating a city‑wide listing of downtown short‑term rentals, and pursuing a railroad quiet zone where the tracks cross Main Street.
New items added to the 2027 to‑do list reflect community‑driven ideas. One proposal calls for a dog park designed for loft‑dweller residents, providing a safe, fenced area for pets in the heart of downtown. Another recommends assigning a police officer to patrol the downtown area on a bicycle, a strategy intended to increase visibility and improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists alike.
Board members will also be asked to reaffirm their commitment to completing the streetscape plan and to suggest refinements to the district’s sidewalk dining guidelines, which have become a popular feature for local eateries.
What’s next? After the Nov. 19 meeting, the board’s recommendations will be forwarded to the City Council for final approval. Residents can expect updates on the dog park design, the bike‑patrolled officer program, and the Vacant Building Ordinance as the council reviews the proposals. Community input will continue through public comment periods scheduled later in the year.
Sources: denisonweekly.news
