In late July, the Town of Zionsville began the first stage of the Zionsville Gateway Area (ZGA) plan with the demolition of the PNC bank building and locksmith shop at the northwest corner of Main and Sycamore Streets. The next step includes engaging the community during a ZGA Listening Session taking place open house style on Thursday, October 1 from 4 – 8 p.m. at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds – Farm Bureau Community Building (1300 E. 100 S., Lebanon).
The Listening Session will be limited to a certain number of volunteers due to social distancing guidelines. Volunteers participating in the session must sign up for a time slot in advance at https://zionsvillegateway.eventbrite.com. Volunteers must wear a mask during the session, maintain social distancing and utilize the hand sanitizer stations. The in-person process will take each person about 40 – 50 minutes to complete. For those unable to attend the session in-person and for those who prefer to participate online, the Listening Session will be available in its entirety virtually.
Strategic planning and consulting firm Thomas P. Miller and Associates (TPMA) and architectural and brand strategy firm DELV Design are facilitating the process. The Listening Session will include an introduction station, three engagement stations and one exit station that will guide volunteers through a strategic and interactive process of sharing the mission and intent of the planning process, conveying the history and complexity of the space within the ZGA, receiving feedback and input on current experiences in the space and sharing goals and next steps. The virtual Listening Session will mimic the same format and include interactive virtual stations and opportunities to submit input.
Other discussions planned for the future will include stakeholder interviews and focus group meetings. At the end of this process, both a draft and final development scenario plan will be prepared for use in any future RFPs. Interested parties and potential investors will be able to use the Development Scenario Plan as a guidepost in understanding the community’s goals and objectives regarding the ZGA.
“I look forward to guiding our community through this process,” said Mayor Emily Styron. “The Listening Session is a vital step in the process of planning for the next stage of our town’s identity.”
The mission statement of the Zionsville Gateway Area plan is “to identify the highest, best and most sustainable mix of uses within the Zionsville Gateway Area (ZGA) and to explore ideas for an economically vibrant, whole-community serving and authentically Zionsville experience.”
Information, including the virtual Listening Session link, when available, is posted: www.zionsville-in.gov/gatewayarea.