Utica retail plaza gets thumbs-up

Construction is slated to begin as soon as spring arrives, and Utica officials, with fingers crossed, hope to have the outdoor retail plaza finished by Memorial Day.

Mother Nature will have the last word on the timeline, but the Market on Mill plaza received positive nods Wednesday from about 20 villagers who came to see the almost-final sketches.

“I like it real well,” Mark MacKay said.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Kelly Waters said.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Jamie Wallace said.

That was music to the ears of Utica officials, who’ve been looking for a viable use for the vacant space at Mill and Church streets since a tornado devastated the downtown area in 2004.

The longer we keep them open, the better it is for everybody.”

—  Utica Mayor David Stewart

Unable to find a developer to build permanent structures – the parcels sit in the Clark’s Run flood plain – Utica shifted gears two years ago and proposed an outdoor retail plaza with portable stalls that can be moved in case a weather event occurs.

The village applied for a grant awarded last summer and this past August got the OK to spend some of the funds on just-unveiled designs. These include:

Parking

The plaza will feature 89 striped parking spaces over a paved surface, replacing the gravel lot with free-for-all parking.

Handicapped-accessible spots will be available, and the village is negotiating with the library to use spots on East Grove Street.

Retail space

Utica will begin with 12 portable retail stalls (12-foot squares with 4-foot porches), with space for another six, and the shops will face inward toward a green area with artificial turf.

There will be room for the addition of tents during festivals such as Burgoo.

Design features

The main entrance will be placed next to the tornado memorial and flanked by a retaining wall, all in stone or faux stone. Restrooms will be situated at the north end of the plaza. An ice-skating rink might be available during the winter.

“It’s a nice big area,” said Jamie Turczyn, director of village affairs. “We’ve got room for a lot of ideas.”

Village engineer Kevin Heitz said the adjoining end of Mill Street will undergo a streetscape transformation similar to the block to the south, which displays crisscrossing lights.

The design was inspired by successful outdoor plazas in Batavia, Berwyn and Muskegon, Michigan, where sales generally are conducted from May through the holidays. Retailers would be required to adhere to set hours, but Mayor David Stewart said he could foresee operations spilling past Christmas.

“We’re going to have to see what the market demands, but there might be a need to have them open during weekends in the winter,” Stewart said. “The longer we keep them open, the better it is for everybody.”

Rent has not yet been determined, but Stewart said he views the retail stalls as business incubators: low-cost locations for businesses trying to get off the ground.

“The hope is we get someone in for a year, they do well, and we get them into a brick-and-mortar [location],” Stewart said.