Branson moving onto Phase IV of historic streetscape project; invites public to view plans in meeting
BRANSON, Mo. (KY3)—The city of Branson is moving into the next phase of its long-term historic streetscape project. The city invited the public to a meeting Thursday night to discuss the next steps.
The city has been working on the project since 2013, says public works director Michael R. Woods, and is funding the multi-million dollar project with tourism tax money.
“We’re working on phase four, so we’re well on our way. One more phase is left behind. It is a $5 million project with tourism tax money that’s going to fund taking care of ADA improvements and street improvements and streetscapes,” said Woods.
The project has already touched College Street, South Alley, Pacific Street, and Commercial Street. The city also added Liberty Plaza for the community and new amenities like bathrooms. Phase IV focuses on Main Street from Veterans Boulevard to Sycamore Street.
“We’re also in cooperation with MoDOT. We’re going to work with them on getting a signal upgrade. So their plan is to come in a little bit behind us, but it’s a cooperation together. We’re going to make sure we take care of ADA sidewalks. We’re going to put in new water lines and brand new roads that are going to go in there. Make sure that the lighting and signage are correct and match what you see here today,” said Woods.
The project is about more than accessibility, though. It’s about completely revitalizing the downtown area to make it more attractive to tourists and residents alike.
“It’s about reinvigorating downtown. We have lots of high-end shopping that are down here now, lots of high-end businesses, Dick’s Five and Dime is down here. 417 Vintage Market is down here. We see a resurgence of money that’s being dumped into downtown to not only make it day life but nightlife too. I arguably say it’s one of the best places to come in southwest Missouri for the best historic downtown. It’s the heartbeat of Branson,” said Woods.
The design phase is underway. The city plans to start taking bids later this year. The end goal is to have shovels in the ground in January 2025 and work completed in March 2025, ahead of the tourist season.
“There will probably be some detours that are set up or construction phasing that’s in there to make sure that we get people through the area safely,” said Woods when asked about impacts to downtown traffic.
Thursday night, Branson is hosting that meeting for the public. It’s from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall. The city is invited to attend to discuss the next steps and hear from the designers about what they’ve created.
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