In order to make areas of Auburn more pedestrian-friendly and appealing to investors, Renew Opelika Road has begun taking place.
The plan, which has many elements, will be spread out through the next 10-20 years. However, Director of Public Affairs David Dorton said there has been a lot of activity in the last two years.
According to planner Judd Langham, phase one has taken place and phase two is currently taking place.
Langham said phase one, which covered the area from Gay Street to North Ross Street, created a more pedestrian-friendly environment.
This was achieved through sidewalks, street lighting and street trees.
Phase two, which is is taking place in front of Village Mall, is trying to accomplish a similar atmosphere by widening lanes and providing street trees.
"It may seem like we skipped a big section, but we had to think priorities," said Langham.
Norton said the intersection improvement around the mall has been crucial for the 26,000 cars the Alabama Department of Transportation has reported to cross the intersection each day.
The development in front of the mall ties in the west end of Opelika Road with downtown Auburn, which is currently undergoing a similar project with the Downtown Master Plan, Dorton said.
Dorton said there has also been some positive development and redevelopment in the Opelika Road corridor area. He said there have been projects such as relocating Chicken Salad Chick to Opelika Road, renovation of the Auburn Mall, a Krispy Kreme in the works and more restaurants such as Mugshots.
All of these projects, Dorton said, do many great things for the community such as helping vacancy rates stay down, creating synergy for businesses to thrive, providing jobs and allowing more choices for residents.
"All of which are the reasons a plan like Renew Opelika Road exists," Dorton said.
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