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4.3 Connecting the Community <br />4.3.1 Implement creative place-making <br />Creative place-making works with community members to bring together arts and culture in <br />ways that connect physical space to needs in the community.The goal of this effort would be to <br />foster broader exploration of downtown by visitors while showcasing the talent of a local artist. <br />Ellensburg should explore working with an organization like the nonprofit Pomegranate Center <br />based in Seattle that explores creative place-making in communities as a partnership effort. <br />Creative place-making projects could be incorporated into the town center as well as create <br />physical connections between CWU and downtown Ellensburg.Today,key stakeholders are <br />working on an exciting program to connect through a public art program to create "markers"that <br />will be located in a variety of locations to explore between downtown and campus.The concept, <br />dubbed "Project Brilliance,"will implement reflector art pieces from the late Dick Elliott,a <br />renowned local artist to be placed in strategic locations throughout downtown Ellensburg to <br />ultimately connect the Old Heat Plant,slated to become a visitor's center for Central Washington <br />University,with the core of downtown.Figure 11 on the following page illustrates the potential <br />locations for these installations on key corners throughout the larger downtown area. <br />4.3.2 Continue partnership with Central Washington University to bring investment into the <br />core of downtown over time whether through programs or capital projects. <br />Central Washington University is a strong partner with the Ellensburg community,and its <br />students represent a significant portion of the customer base in downtown.Over time,the <br />University and the Downtowners should seek partnership efforts that may bring programs or <br />even capital projects into the downtown.Some of the ideas expressed in other recommendations <br />of this report could be potential partnership projects. <br />4.3.3 Implement bicycle friendly streets as identified in prior plans. <br />Ellensburg has worked on bicycle friendly streets and the downtown is very navigable by <br />bicycle.The community should continue to implement these important recommendations and <br />will implement new bicycle racks that have been designed in similar style to existing quality <br />downtown street furniture. <br />4.3.4 Implement circulator transportation from CWU through downtown to hotels. <br />Central Transit already operates a fixed route system in Ellensburg.Over time,the possibility of <br />a circulator that connects the local hotels through downtown and onto Central Washington's <br />campus would be an excellent way of creating a regular service for visitors to the community. <br />The potential route is shown in Figure 11 below. <br />35