Process led a comprehensive feasibility study to evaluate development options for a 0.41-acre downtown site to serve as either mixed-use development or a civic center. Our team developed two scenarios aligned with the North Plains Downtown Improvement Plan, including detailed site analysis, parking studies, building massing options, and cost modeling. The feasibility study incorporated design considerations for sustainable building practices while respecting the scale and character of downtown.
This study was developed to support the City of North Plains in its long-term planning for a modern City Hall and Library. The concept explored opportunities to strengthen the civic heart of the community, including the creation of a festival street connecting the proposed City Hall and Library. Together, these improvements would establish a welcoming civic gathering place and create a distinct gateway into downtown North Plains.
Findings were presented to the full City Council in November 2023, and a follow-up Next Steps presentation in January 2024 gave the city a concrete framework for moving toward design.
For a small city facing a once-in-a-generation civic investment, the value of this study wasn’t just in the drawings, it was in the questions it answered before any commitments had to be made. The work gave North Plains a documented, Council-reviewed foundation to draw from whenever the path forward becomes clear.