Troy city officials will hold the second in a series of downtown planning meetings Thursday to get feedback on the direction of the historic downtown district.

The first meeting was held three weeks ago and primarily focused on raw data from numerous studies that were conducted to determine the current state of downtown and to propose possible changes. Possible changes included a proposed bike route from Troy University to make downtown more accessible to students, a wayfinding system (a series of signs and maps to direct people to and around downtown), and the possible conversion of the downtown square to a two-way traffic square with angled parking.

Officials also presented several case studies on similar downtowns that have had success as a springboard for ideas. The case studies will be presented again at Thursday’s meeting, which is described as a “workshop and open studio.” According to Troy Planning and Zoning administrator Melissa Sanders, the meeting will also contain an overview of responses to a survey that was provided at the kick-off meeting, revitalization concepts and façade studies. The meeting will also offer discussions regarding downtown strategies, visual preferences and vision and design schematics.

“The presentations will be informational intended to elicit feedback.” Sanders said. “The goal is to have a hands-on workshop so that this plan is a creation of the input provided. We want to engage all Troy residents and property and business owners, particularly those located in and around downtown, in the downtown planning process and invite anyone with an interest and dedication to our downtown to attend. This is your time to help shape the future of downtown Troy.”

Another way residents can provide input, Sanders said, is by participating in online polls at www.troyal.gov/planDT.  One of those polls asks “Having more of which of the following types of businesses would make you want to visit Downtown Troy more often?” “Restaurants” is currently the number one answer with 19 percent of votes. Food remains a strong point of the poll, with “bars and breweries,” “cafes” and “fresh food markets/specialty food stores” in a three-way tie with 14 percent.

Dining was again the number one focus of residents who responded to another poll. “Dining options” was the number one answer at 19 percent, followed by “renovations of existing buildings” at 17 percent, “nightlife” at 15 percent, “retail stores” at 14 percent and “streetscape/sidewalk improvements” at 12 percent.

For more information about the downtown plan, go to www.troyal.gov/planDT or call Melissa Sanders at (334) 670-6058.