The City of Caruthersville has seen a decline in population and commercial occupancy since a tornado in 2006 devastated the City and left much of its historic downtown in ruins.
A partnership between the City of Caruthersville, the Caruthersville Chamber of Commerce, and the Caruthersville Area Arts Council engaged A2H as placemaking consultant and designer for the planned reactivation of Historic Downtown Caruthersville.
The new vision draws from a number of previous plans done for the City from 2000–2011, as well as community input from an extensive public engagement process with the BLP (Building Local Prosperity) program, hosted by the MU Extension.
The vision plan was paid for using a placemaking grant the Caruthersville Area Arts Council secured in 2019. The vision plan considers four distinct — but interconnected — themes: Art and Culture, Quality Public Spaces, Community Health, and Downtown Economic Vitality.
Plan highlights include:
- Refreshed City Branding + Enhanced Signage Throughout Downtown
- Renovation and Activation of the Historic Exchange Building
- Public Art Installations, especially a mural on the north face of the Exchange Building
- Identifying and Incentivizing Use of Key Vacant Commercial Lots/Storefronts
- Splash Pad
- Waterfront Amphitheater
- New Playground
- Enhanced Boat Ramp Facilities
- Extension of Current Trail System
