Laserfiche WebLink
13 <br />Finally, the Big Ideas plan attempts to promote and preserve the cultural and historical <br />heritage of San Marcos.Each neighborhood is envisionedin the Downtown Master <br />Plan as being distinct in terms of identity, yet as also working in concert to form a rich <br />character that is uniquely San Marcos.The Big Ideas diagram identifies these <br />neighborhoods as a series of “villages” that compose the Downtown. <br />The Downtown Village: <br />This village coincides with the existing Downtown neighborhood that is identified <br />in the Observations and Analysis chapter.This neighborhood is essentially <br />comprised of the Courthouse Square and the blocks that immediately surround it. <br />The Downtown Village should seek to preserve its historic character while <br />encouraging appropriate infill development in underdeveloped properties.The <br />Downtown Village should be a mix of housing, employment, entertainment, and <br />retail usages that support the unique flavor of San Marcos.It should be the heart <br />of the entire community, and it should hold together all of the other Downtown <br />neighborhoods. <br />The University Village: <br />Following along with ideas that were articulated in the City’s 2007 campus Edge <br />Strategic Plan, the University Village is identified as the area between the central <br />Courthouse Square and Texas State University.The neighborhood should be <br />comprised of a mix of housing and entertainment options that successfully <br />engages the student population to the north.This village will help to maximize <br />Downtown’s connections to the University and will serve as a transition zone for <br />town-gown relations.It should be a place for interaction between students, <br />nonstudents, and out-of-towners. <br />Entertainment Village & Transportation Hub: <br />The southern half of the Downtown neighborhood currently consists of loft-style <br />residential units, a number of warehouses, some of which are historical, and a <br />mixed assortment of businesses.The Downtown Master Plan envisages this <br />area as the location for a future transportation hub for the proposed commuter <br />rail stop; this district could offer a combination of uses ranging from housing to <br />retail to entertainment and arts. <br />Arts Village: <br />Adjacent to the transportation hub lies a second warehouse zone.This <br />neighborhood, identified as the arts village in the Big Ideas diagram, offers <br />a transitional space with structures large enough to serve as artist’s <br />studios, music centers or other cultural development venues. <br />East Guadalupe & Victory Gardens: <br />The East Guadalupe and Victory Gardens neighborhoods comprise another of <br />the DowntownMaster Plans’ villages.These residential communities, with their <br />unique heritage, are envisioned as having a neighborhood market and <br />community gathering spaces just east of Guadalupe Street. <br /> <br />