Mike Mahler, DDA president and economic development director at the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce, said plans could include a new water feature to replace the fountain, a hidden speaker system so music can be played, and possibly new fencing to replace the concrete wall near the adjacent parking lot.

Culligan Plaza was constructed in the mid-1980s and has been a staple downtown, but Mahler said changes are needed to make the plaza more handicap-accessible and user-friendly, especially for the many events held there.

Mahler said the planning and design phase has just begun, but hopes are the work can be done before Memorial Day weekend in 2021.

“The plaza has been this way for more than 30 years, and it is time to give it a refresh,” Mahler said. “It just isn’t as friendly as it could be. You have the steps by the fountain that make it inaccessible for people who are in wheelchairs or have a hard time with mobility, so the idea is to level everything out there and just make it more user-friendly. Right now, it is just too cumbersome and it needs a total redo.”

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Alpena City Manager Rachel Smolinski, left, and Alpena Downtown Development Authority President Mike Mahler discuss possible improvements to Culligan Plaza at the DDA meeting on Tuesday.

Alpena City Manager Rachel Smolinski said the plaza helps to bring people downtown, where they may visit the nearby shops and restaurants. Improving it is a type of economic development, she said.

“I have always held parks and recreational spaces for the public in high regard, because it attracts and keeps people in your area, where they support your economy and tourism,” Smolinski said. “To be honest, the longer we can keep people here, the more likely they are to spend money in your businesses.”

Because the project is just getting underway, there is no cost estimate.

Smolinski said the improvements will likely be covered by grants, private donations, fundraising, and possibly contributions from the city and DDA. The city will also seek public input to learn more about what residents want to see at the plaza.

“Once we come up with some design concepts we want to roll into that space, we’ll go out to the public for comment on that,” she said. “Public comment is very important, because the people are going to be the ones using it.”

During Tuesday’s DDA meeting, the board also voted to purchase a pair of bike racks for downtown. A local man has designed the racks and will construct a pair of them for $6,600. That is much cheaper than racks that were proposed last year that included canopies. That purchase was shot down by the Alpena Municipal Council.

DDA Executive Director Anne Gentry said one of the racks will be placed at the “island” on 2nd Avenue across from the AMC Classic State 3 theater and the other will be built later and placed at Culligan Plaza, hopefully around the time the improvements are complete.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.