BY LUCIE KRISMAN
The Mayor’s Tree Lighting event will be canceled this year due to pandemic precautions, Mayor Tim Reazin said at the Eudora City Commission meeting Monday.
Reazin said an online alternative is still being planned with the help of Parks and Recreation director Sally Pennington.
Reazin thanked first responders, including the police and fire departments, for continuing to respond to COVID-19 in Eudora.
"It's getting much worse before it gets better," Reazin said. "I appreciate your effort in being out there for the community."
In other news, commissioners received an update from city staff and members of the Nottingham redevelopment team on the outlook for the Nottingham Center.
Members of the Nottingham redevelopment team presented commissioners with the possible overall concept of what the Nottingham Center will look like and what types of businesses and activities will go into it.
Features of the future commercial redevelopment project include retail businesses along Locust Street, restaurants and a public village green for outdoor activities and entertainment, such as music, food trucks and farmers markets.
Michael Comparato of Vieste LLC told commissioners the Nottingham team is working to carry out the vision they have for what the Nottingham Center can do for the community, both in terms of what it will look like and what economic value it will have for the city.
"We've taken your tasks to heart and worked diligently with the team to come up with some various different options for Nottingham, based on the commission's direction," Comparato said. "We will continue to work not only on the aesthetics and conceptual plan but how to market and promote the plan and the center itself."
City Manager Barack Matite said city staff have talked about maximizing the experience Eudora residents can get out of visiting the Nottingham Center.
"The conversation we essentially settled on was, how can we make it to be a place where people can come in and enjoy a full day of activities?" Matite said.
Reazin said having a space in the center for food trucks and a farmers market would be a great asset to the center.
"We've spoken for years now about the idea of where we could relocate or utilize a farmers market," Reazin said. "I know there are community members in the farming community outside of Eudora that are looking for a place to do that. I think that's a great idea."
The City Commission will next meet Dec 14. Instructions on how to attend remotely will be posted to the city's website.
Reach reporter Lucie Krisman at eudoratimes@gmail.com.
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