City officials in Gunnison have readied a Main Street revitalization proposal that calls for aesthetic improvements in the center of town and that they hope will bring fresh life to the former Top Stop property. The proposal calls for elements such as raised planter boxes; flower baskets; pedestrian lighting; colored concrete and stamped asphalt; new, decorative lampposts; benches and trees. The project would improve Main Street between Center Street and 100 South.
The central focus of the project is making the shuttered Top Stop property functional again, which was relinquished to the city by Wind River in a closed settlement last year. The proposal calls for reinventing the space into a multi-purpose plaza, which could host events like outdoor concerts and farmers markets. The property would incorporate a clock tower and additional parking. An additional component would enhance the gateway triangle at the north end of town where U.S. 89 and S.R. 28 converge.
Estimated to cost $800,000, it would be funded with a $300,000 CIB grant and a $300,000 CIB loan, which carries 3 percent interest over 20 years—or a payment around $21,000 per year. Sanpete Messenger
