Monroe kids help design new downtown area day camp

Local kids got an opportunity to help imagine the future of downtown Monroe.

The City of Monroe and Campo Architects held a free interactive design camp Friday at the Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum. Kids got a chance to imagine the future of downtown through activities such as drawing, modeling building, and diagramming.

The New Orleans-based firm was retained by Mayor Friday Ellis to create a master plan for downtown Mo. The City of Monroe completed the first phase of its master plan, with the next phase going into assessment.

The firm is currently focusing on incorporating community feedback as well as identifying opportunities for mixed-used development projects to incorporate in the master plan.

Mary Gilmore, an architect with Campo Architects, said the event was to engage the community, outside of a typical town hall meeting and getting the youth involved in the process and interested in the development of downtown.

The event included an map of downtown Monroe that featured miniature versions of local buildings. There was also an area where kids could start their own business, many of whom, Gilmore described as "creative."

"Some started a bookstore, museum, candy company, a cat café, hotel," Gilmore said. "All kinds of stuff, a dog park. We just had some great ideas."

Other activities included areas where kids could renovate local buildings, design a new building or create outdoor spaces.

The camp attracted kids as well as adults and a few owners of downtown businesses.

Gilmore said the firm is going to take feedback from the kids and incorporate it into the downtown master plan.

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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Monroe kids help design new downtown area day camp