Topeka community stakeholders attend 'Core District Bus Tour'

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Between NOTO, the riverfront, Downtown Topeka and the development of the Polk-Quincy viaduct, community stakeholders got together Monday, May 20, for a bus tour to better understand projects, developments and visions for the Capital City.

These include the "Story of Noto in Art", discussing efforts on the east side of downtown, vacancies and more.

"This really takes four different projects, put them all as one and frames them as something much more palatable and achievable when we look at it as a whole," President of Downtown Topeka Ashley Gilfillan said.

As for continuing to develop NOTO and other parts of the city's core area, NOTO Executive Director Thomas Underwood said one vision he has is more places to live.

"Where should that housing be," Underwood said. "What kind of housing? What are the possibilities? When I'm looking wearing my NOTO hat, I look at this area like gosh there's a half block of empty space here. What could that be, how would that complement about the things we want to do in NOTO?"

Topeka Councilman Marcus Miller told 27 News that being able to set his eyes on areas that need to be developed helped him better understand why it needs to be developed.

"I've been in North Topeka, I've been in Topeka my whole life, but being in North Topeka and looking at it from the standpoint of here is the development, here is the things we're trying to do, but being able to actually take the time to just stand there and actually look at that space is extremely important for people's education to be able to truly get a grasp of what's going on," Miller said.

But it was the riverfront that stood out most to Miller.

"Being in that space of where things would go, that allowed me to really be able to wrap my head around the opportunity that lays right there right in the middle of our town to be able to truly develop and bring a lot of money and jobs into this economy," Miller said.

You can go to the Great Overland Station Tuesday, May 21, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a public engagement event with Topeka's riverfront advisory council.

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