Goshen River District Revitalization Plan

JPR had the privilege of working with the City of Goshen and its various community organizations and stakeholders to develop a River District Master Plan. Situated along the Elkhart River, west of downtown Goshen, the project encompassed the design of a River District and included the layout of commercial and residential buildings, mixed-use facilities, and streetscape design.

By incorporating a diverse range of uses, a creative approach was adopted to craft engaging environments for passive and active recreation along the river. This included the expansion of streetscape spaces for seating and dining, plazas with display areas for art, and a river walk system. At the project onset, it was critical to evaluate the site and gain insight into the City’s history. The team then explored methods to celebrate the history and fold it into the design.

Beyond the research, the design team gathered input from local community members, stakeholders, and a planning committee. As is typical, a design challenge that JPR had to solve was merging the community input with input received from the stakeholders and planning committee – pulling everything together into a single, functional design.

Utilizing this valuable input and research, the design team was able to develop a Master Plan that defined the areas for living, working, and play/socialization. These areas were strategically divided into phases that could be tasked for development. Additionally, the team worked with a market analysis group to compile a breakdown of not only the construction cost but also the potential financial gains from investment into the community.

Through their creativity, JPR was able to turn the information they received from all parties involved into a successful Master Plan layout. Additionally, the team provided the engineering skillset needed to develop a layout that would be constructible while also helping the City plan for needed infrastructure moving forward.