NEW DOWNTOWN BRAINERD

Consultants, contractors, and city spokespeople will hold a meeting tonight about the future of Downtown Brainerd. Representatives from Widseth, Smith and Nolting and SRF Consulting Group will host an open house beginning at 6:15pm and share ideas about what may be done to downtown. Brainerd Lakes Chamber Main Street Coordinator Emily Roragen said she hopes Brainerd citizens come to share their thoughts about the future downtown. Roragen said business owners should be there becausse the open house is to gather ideas about what the area will look like, nitty-gritty details like scorched cement or pavers, should there be kiosks and where should they go, what kind of trash cans, and what kind of trees would work. Roragen said the affected area is on Front and Laurel Streets between Sixth and Seventh and on Seventh between Laurel and Maple. The meeting will be at the First Lutheran Church at 8th and Norwood. There are no specific plans yet as to when the project will begin.