PHOENIX – The Casper, Wyo. City Council has approved plans for an $8.5 million redevelopment of the city's downtown.
The council on Nov. 19 unanimously approved the plan of development, which aims to construct "an events-driven public plaza in downtown Casper" by November 2016. The council has already approved a tax increase to partially fund the project, while the Downtown Development Authority is still looking to raise additional money via private donations. Once complete, the project is intended to be "self-sustaining," the authority said in its plan.
The plan cites several precedents, including a successful redevelopment in Rapid City, S.D. that brought new businesses and tripled the city's annual visitation. The Casper authority believes that success can be duplicated.
"The research has been carefully done, the planning has been thoughtfully implemented, and the community is ready," the plan documents state. "The time to execute on a transformative project that can change the face of our community for generations to come is now."
