Redevelopment agency seeks resident feedback

Planning group looking for ideas to help establish downtown Henderson's identity

With downtown revitalization efforts well under way, the Henderson Redevelopment Agency is looking to give the Water Street District a distinct identity and will seek feedback from residents this month regarding a new branding plan for the area.

At the March Redevelopment Agency meeting, the group introduced new plans for downtown Henderson to include a monument, archway, signs and banners. The original branding design, created by Graphic Solutions of San Diego, features two winged figures facing each other to form an "H" for Henderson. The design would serve as an entry point monument into the downtown Water Street District at the corner of Lake Mead Parkway and Water Street, and would also be used as a logo for downtown merchants' shopping bags and T-shirts.

Robert Ryan, manager of the Redevelopment Agency, said feedback has been mixed and some people are unsure how the figures, representing angels, relate to Henderson.

"Some have said winged figures, that doesn't really say Henderson," he said.

The design will be modified and to gauge the public's reaction, the agency will upload an e-mail link on the city's Web site some time this month. Residents are invited to share their suggestions regarding the future look of downtown.

While the design atop the monument is yet to be determined, the structure itself, along with the other components of the monument-signage plan, will resemble moderne-style architecture.

The monument will consist of rock at the ground level and fuse into more refined materials at higher levels.

"It's coming out of the earth and becoming something refined over time," Ryan said.

He said the idea is meant to model how Henderson got its start.

"Downtown Henderson is one of the few traditional downtowns we have in the whole valley," he said. "We really try to build on that."

About a block down Water Street, a gateway arch will hang high above the street highlighting the city's name. As the design stands now, the two winged figures hold the structure, one on each side of the street.

"It's sort of a welcoming thing," Ryan said. "We're trying to give it a little bit of identity."

The plan also includes signs for both street names and directions, and banners highlighting civic and entertainment happenings.

The project, which will go out to bid in the summer, is part of the Downtown Investment Strategy, meant to pump business and vitality into the area.

Ryan said with several projects ready to break ground downtown, including office buildings and condominiums, people are starting to see the city's vision for downtown Henderson.

"The idea is to revitalize downtown, make it something that really it never was," he said. "The whole face of downtown is going to change."

Visit www.cityofhenderson.com to submit feedback about the design plan.