TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledoans gathered at the Mott Library on Dorr Street on Tuesday to share their opinions of the city's proposed plans to connect Uptown with the Junction and Englewood neighborhoods.
Toledo’s Connecting Neighborhoods to Opportunity project plans include improvements to the Dorr Street overpass, new bike lanes, and multi-use paths to enhance accessibility.
“A lot of the investment is happening in Uptown," said Brandon Sehlhorst, Toledo's economic development director. "We are going to re-create 38 city blocks with all new water, sewer, roadwork and streetscapes."
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Among the attendees at the library meeting was Doris Greer, a former Dorr Street resident who remains connected to the community.
“I lived in the neighborhood from the mid-40s,” she said.
With her coming to the Dorr Street area often to attend church and shop, she expressed concerns with parts of the proposal.
Greer worries these changes will further divert people from the neighborhood rather than encourage them to spend time and money in the neighborhoods.
“We want to see you interact with the neighborhood,” she said. “Just like when we leave Dorr Street, we go out and interact with the greater community.”
While the project is still in its early stages, Sehlhorst said his staff is taking feedback that can help shape the design.
Another community meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday at the Jefferson Center.
Sehlhorst said the city expects to finalize the plans by 2026, have phase one of construction start by 2027 and for construction to finish by 2031.