Block 93 Alley Project – Development and Revitalization Team (DART)
When you think of an alley, the image that comes to your mind is not generally a pretty one. You will likely think of stray cats and garbage bins, dusty and generally unpleasant. Montrose’s Development and Revitalization Team (DART) has a vision to “repurpose” one of its downtown alleys into a hub of social activity with artistic features for the community and visitors to enjoy, and for local businesses to benefit from.
The Block 93 Alley Project goal is to transform the alley and parking lot to the north and behind the 300 block of Main Street into a community asset. This area’s buildings were originally built in the period from 1886 to around 1905 and hold great historical value as the early beginnings of our beloved town.
Some of the more inspiring concepts they hope to incorporate include: steel archways at each entrance; an area for food trucks; solar panels to provide electricity throughout; different types of seating including rooftop patio seating, benches and stadium seating; lighting; murals, sculptures and other artistic features; planters; bike racks; and special paving to name just a few. Their hope and vision is to create a community space that is vibrant, inviting, and safe; a space where we can gather for special events such as Farmers Markets or to enjoy live entertainment.
Your chance to learn more is coming up when DART hosts a community block party on October 21st from 4 pm to 7 pm to share details of their vision of what Block 93 will look like and what an asset it will be to our community. It will be an opportunity to see the alley in its current state and be introduced to the vision they have for the big project. The party is fall-themed featuring live music, food trucks, vendors, and more. You can also visit the Block 93 Alley Project page of the City of Montrose’s website for more detailed information: https://www.cityofmontrose.org/741/Block-93-Alley-Project
Additionally, you can learn more about the history of downtown Montrose utilizing the Historic Walking Tour Guide: https://www.cityofmontrose.org/DocumentCenter/View/42203/Historic-Walking-Tour-Guide