The Design Team gets Headland into top physical shape. The Team capitalizes on Headland's best asset; our beautiful downtown park, historic buildings, pedestrian-oriented streets with sidewalks and safe places to walk. The Team creates an inviting atmosphere through attractive window displays, parking areas, building improvements, street furniture, signs, sidewalks, street lights, and landscaping to convey a positive visual message about the district and what it has to offer. Design Team activities also include instilling good maintenance practices in the commercial district, enhancing the physical appearance by rehabilitating historic buildings, encouraging appropriate new construction, developing sensitive design management systems, and long-term planning.

 

Design Team activities include: 

• Design Education teaches the community about the district’s unique character and assets.  The Team members give presentations to members of the community, business owners and civic organizations. This includes keeping an updated building inventory, rehab library.

• Design Training improves the design awareness and skills of Team members, property owners, and business people.  This could include “storefront design”, appropriate signage workshops and design guideline booklets.

• Design Assistance:  offers building and property owner’s conceptual plans and written guidelines on improvements to facades, signs, and displays.  This could include storefront renovation renderings, design sketches, and specifications for signs. 

• Design Resources – provide information on appropriate materials and contractors for building storefront improvements.  This could include having a rehab resource library, contractor referral list, as well as paint and awning samples kit.

• Design Assistance:  Planning – collaborate with city government on future public improvements.  This could include a storefront analysis by your design team or parking lot improvement plans. 

• More advanced activities could include plans for guiding future real estate development and construction of public improvements, such as new sidewalks, lighting, benches, etc.  Is there a downtown element in the city comprehensive plan?  What are plans for public improvement projects in the downtown district?  Is there a minimum maintenance ordinance for the downtown district in place to preserve your buildings?  

• Design is about more than buildings.  It is anything that can be related to visually – window displays, signage, downtown landscaping & cleanliness and holiday decorations.