Tara James-Wallace grew up in Topeka and has seen the diversity of the city firsthand, so she was upset when she didn’t see that diversity reflected in its Downtown Master Plan study.
“My block was as culturally diverse as I could ever imagine,” she said. “For that to not be reflected in the city’s plan speaks volumes.”
The city of Topeka released a 118-page draft of its Downtown Master Plan with artist renderings of the future and photos of people enjoying downtown Topeka. The photos were almost exclusively of white people.
“If I was looking to invest in Topeka and I saw that plan as it was originally published . I would not be interested in investing in Topeka,” James-Wallace said. “I didn t see anybody that looked like me.”
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The Lubbock City Council this week approved the use of $173,800 to be used to design a proposed Downtown Civic Park. If the plan is approved, the park would be located at 1302 Broadway Avenue which is the old Lubbock Power and Light building.
According to KFYO News, it will cost at least $1 million dollars to tear down the Lubbock Power and Light building along with the parking garage.
City officials want the park to include a 2,000-3,000 square foot park pavilion building with restrooms, a café or warming kitchen, and it should be able to support performances. The park design should also include trees, lights, furnishings, and an interactive water feature.