Some observations about Auburn’s growing downtown urbanist… #UrbanistFieldTrips
Auburn’s train station is set in the heart of the city center and has a pedestrian bridge linking both sides.
Only the east side has seen urban infill development. And only 13 trains serve the station in normal times on weekdays.
Zoning, a stroad, and an uninspired surface parking lot has largely kept the west side undeveloped.
A major new apartment building is going up just two blocks east of the station. It looks like it will come with a plaza space.
Auburn has some background on this eight-story mixed-use project and others here: auburnwa.gov/city_hall/comm…
Right next to the station are some good old bones. Short brick buildings line Main Street.
On both sides of the street for that matter and street calming measures have been put in place.
The Trek Apartments are fairly new to the downtown core. Four stories of residential over ground floor commercial and parking.
The Merrill Gardens senior living apartments occupy a very big footprint in the core (an entire square block) and kinda turn their back on the main arterial of A Street.
But the Merrill Gardens apartments offer a semi-public plaza space and street furniture on Division Street.
The A Street arterial isn’t really all that wide but it probably could do to lose a car lane.
Just east of Merrill Gardens across A Street is a Safeway. It doesn’t face the urban core though and isn’t really pedestrian-oriented. But it does offer food hall options within walking distance and has serious redevelopment potential. (Safeway likes urban redevelopments.)
The newest apartments are The Verge just west of Merrill Gardens on Division Street. The apartments are just a block from the station.
Given the pattern of development in the area, the block south of The Verge is probably a prime space for redevelopment.
Across from the major apartment project underway is City Hall at Division and Main. There’s a big plaza space there, too.
An office, medical, and retail building is kitty corner from the new apartment project and directly east of City Hall. It takes up a half block.
On a holiday, biz was closed up but this was the best example of outdoor dining space in Auburn’s downtown core, including use of an old on-street parking space. A bit wider pedestrian clear are between the light pole should be maintained though.
Throughout Auburn’s downtown, there are wayfinding signs. A replacable map would be a nice addition over just arrows to destinations and advertising.
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