The City of Winslow has much to look forward to in 2023. There are several different projects the city has in development that will go to making the city a better place for its residents and visitors.
According to City Manager David Coolidge, one of the main focuses of the city this year will be a targeted program to address weeds and trash along the main corridors of the city. This initiative will aim to improve the aesthetic and cleanliness of the town, creating a more pleasant environment. The city will also focus on slum and blight projects, utilizing grant funding and capital funding to address structures that are in disrepair or abandoned. This will help to improve the overall condition of the community and create a safer and more attractive environment for residents.
Coolidge believes that when people visit this town for research into potential business investments here that it will have a positive impact on those decisions if the town looks more beautiful or residents from nearby towns will be more likely to spend more time in Winslow if we are able to leave a nice impression.
Another project of the city is building a new library next to the chamber of commerce that will be bigger and better than the current library. The library will be about 10,000 square feet and will have much more resources for residents, including a larger amount of computers for use, private study booths and more classes provided by the library. Construction will begin this summer and will most likely be completed in late 2023 or early 2024.
Another major project that the City of Winslow is currently working on is the Winslow Levee Project. The city has been in the process of trying to receive funding for this deal since the beginning of 2022. Last week, members of city council and administrators at the city met with Arizona state legislators in both the House and the Senate to request a one-time allotment of money for the project. This will help cover the almost $13 million of the city’s portion of the more than $100 million project. There is a bill in the Arizona House and there will shortly be another in the Arizona Senate for the project. If the money is awarded by the state, that will be the last of what the city needs to begin the project, which will take approximately three to four years to complete.
The City of Winslow is also in the midst of a major development deal. The city had as an agenda item for a meeting earlier this week a discussion on the sale and purchase agreement for the 1,200-acre project with Atlas Global Development. This project is still in the early stages but if the agreement is reached, it will open a 360-day window for the city to negotiate a final sale. This current agreement is not a sale and either party can still back out of the agreement any time before the final sale.
A final sale will only come after the project meets all the demands of the council and experts hired by the city to research the project, which will take place over several meetings where comments from the public will be accepted. The design phase will begin after the agreement is reached; at which time the city will have more information to provide to the public.
Lastly, the City of Winslow was awarded a grant earlier this year to help with growing its farmer’s market. The market, which is held on Saturdays during the summer, will now have a full-time manager who will organize and recruit sellers.
The long-term plan for the market is for it to eventually become a self-sufficient non-profit organization. The city wants to create a place where local sellers from the region can showcase their products and people can come and support their local communities in a single convenient location.
Additionally, the city will provide assistance to people who are wanting help with to create a micro farm, so more people can participate in the farmer’s market. While the city operates the market, they will not charge vendor fees but the expectation is that some small fees will be collected when the non-profit takes over to make it self-sufficient.
Coolidge remarked that he believes the reason the city has so many great developments taking place is because the current city council truly cares about the future of the city and each member has been in this community either for decades or their entire lives and that has had tremendous advantages for the city. Whatever the reason behind it is, Winslow is making significant investments into the future of the city.
