Design Guidelines for Downtown Narrows

Similar to many communities across the country, the town of Narrows' Commercial District has been experiencing economic and physical decline for quite some time. A recent survey suggests that over half of all commercial, office, and industrial space in downtown Narrows is presently either vacant or underutilized (Archambault 1992). Downtown revitalization has been a successful response to decaying physical and economic environments in many towns and cities across the country. Alone, downtown improvements will not solve the economic problems of the district. However, they represent a necessary and important step in the economic revitalization process (Archambault 1992). This report includes three sections, which address design guideline recommendations for the Town of Narrows, as well as the background materials that informed their process of development.