By James Gherardi
Lynchburg, VA – Phase two of the $5 million Bluff Walk project in downtown Lynchburg is underway.
Wednesday night, developers shared their vision for the site’s future.
Plans show, it’s going to be beautiful and become an integral part of pedestrian life there, taking underutilized space and making it a potential money maker for the city’s private sector.
From the front the buildings along Jefferson and Commerce Streets seem unchanged.
But move behind them, and Construction is well under way on downtown Lynchburg’s latest project.
“The Bluff Walk itself is going to be just walking” said Carl Matice.
Matice has been following the project since its inception.
He owns a business in Bedford, but is considering opening a second location in Lynchburg, because of the bluff walk.
“If this project is successful, then it would really be worth moving a business down here. It could be a really good investment for a lot of businesses” said Matice.
And that’s the primary goal.
Developers say the objective of the bluff walk is to induce private sector development; by moving paying customers from thriving parts of downtown, to those that need a little help.
Developers say the bluff walk will act as a link, bringing pedestrian traffic from Commerce Street, down to Jefferson Street, and the River Front.
The project stretches three blocks in between the buildings facing Jefferson and Commerce Streets; allowing them to open a second facade facing the bluff.
It includes, beatification, as well as important infrastructure updates.
“I’m excited for the future. I see a lot of people already investing a lot of money” said Matice.
The plans revealed at the meeting showed investors have bought up space along much of the bluff already to develop both residential and commercial space. The bluff walk project, developers hope, will be completed by the summer of 2015.