Historic Little Italy Design Committee

This Committee should spearhead efforts to undertake streetscaping and other enhancement projects throughout the neighborhood. Responsibilities of this committee would include:

	Coordinating efforts to design and implement a streetscaping project along the West 18th Street corridor, as described in Chapter 5 of this Plan. This will involve working with the City, ERA, design professionals, property owners, and residents to acquire consensus on a design scheme, acquire funding, and construct the project.
	Coordinating efforts to implement gateways at key entrances to the neighborhood.
	Addressing other streetscaping and physical design improvements, as presented in Chapter 5, throughout the neighborhood.
	Working with the Advisory Council, ERA, and the City to develop, adopt, and enforce design standards for the West 18th Street corridor.
	Addressing sidewalks and pedestrian walkways throughout the neighborhood.
	Working with property owners, local businesses, and City partners to address parking issues throughout the neighborhood.

The West 18th Street commercial corridor is by far the #1 priority as identified by stakeholders and residents of the neighborhood. There was overwhelming consensus that the 18th Street corridor needs attention and that is should have the highest priority of public improvement projects in the neighborhood.

Computer enhanced concepts that, during stakeholder visioning sessions, served to generate ideas and enthusiasm for a more-aesthetically pleasing West 18th Street are included in our Photo Gallery.

Early development plans for Little Italy included a piazza at the intersection of Walnut and West 16th Streets, in front of Saint Paul’s Church, which, as mentioned earlier, was the heart of the Little Italy community in its golden years.

It is recommended by the preliminary planners that HLI further investigate the potential for creating a piazza at this location, working closely with Saint Paul’s Church and the Nuova Aurora Club, as well as the owners of the apartment in the SW corner. A concept of a potential piazza is illustrated in the Photo Gallery. The concept includes brick pavers throughout the piazza, benches, landscaping, a fountain or sculpture, controlled vehicular traffic patterns, and other amenities to make the area attractive as a neighborhood gathering space.

An Italian American Museum, highlighting former residents of the neighborhood as well as other famous Italian Americans, could be develo0ped adjacent to the piazza.