Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project Design

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Thank you for your input! This webpage is now archived.

For information on this project moving forward, visit Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project and subscribe for project updates.


October 16, 2023 Final Design Update

This webpage was created to communicate the Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project design process with the public, serving as a repository for design development through public input and the design workshops held in June 2021 and April 2022. The Oak Street project design process has now come to a close and final construction documents are now completed.

City staff is in the process of hiring a

Thank you for your input! This webpage is now archived.

For information on this project moving forward, visit Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project and subscribe for project updates.


October 16, 2023 Final Design Update

This webpage was created to communicate the Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project design process with the public, serving as a repository for design development through public input and the design workshops held in June 2021 and April 2022. The Oak Street project design process has now come to a close and final construction documents are now completed.

City staff is in the process of hiring a general contractor for the work and construction is anticipated to start summer of 2024. With that, this webpage is now archived and will no longer be available for project updates.

Thank you to all the community and staff members that participated in the development of this project! 

The design team has spent a great deal of time incorporating your thoughts, concerns, comments and great ideas wherever possible. We are very excited about starting construction and look forward to communicating with you again very soon! 

Moving forward, please visit https://www.fcgov.com/utilities/oak-street-stormwater-improvements-project to subscribe for project updates for the Oak Street project construction.


November 15, 2022 Update

The timeline for the construction of the Oak Street project has changed. Originally, the project was planned to begin construction in early summer 2023, however, the project is now estimated to delay by approximately 12 months.

The reason for the schedule change relates to Utilities approach to funding this project. Initially we planned to internally fund this project through the rate payer’s revenue source and a 20-year debt issuance. Now, we will seek funding related to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Build Back Better, Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and others. The approximate 12 month delay will allow for more time to research these federal funding opportunities.

We will post an updated project timeline when we understand more about funding eligibility and implementation of those funds.


April 28, 2022 Update

Thank you to all community members and staff who participated in the April 20, 2022 Design Review Workshops! The discussions were rich with critical questions and helpful feedback related to a variety of project design considerations. You may watch the review meeting recordings by clicking the links below. They may also be found in the "meeting Recordings" section of this webpage.

Afternoon design review meeting recording- click here

Evening design review meeting recording- click here

Overall design review meeting Summary

Overall design review meeting FAQs

At this point, no further design review meetings are expected. The design team will continue to refine its work, with final design plans expected this fall or winter.

With the design so far along, consideration of community feedback moving forward will be limited. However, you thoughts may be important to project progress and we would like to hear from you. Here are some options for you to share feedback:

  • 1) Especially if you live or own property adjacent to the project, connect directly with the project manager to share feedback: Heather McDowell | Special Projects Manager | 970-416-8057 | hmcdowell@fcgov.com
  • 2) Participate in the City's Budgeting for Outcomes process, where the project's funding will be considered by City leadership.
  • 3) As with any topic of interest you may have about the City, you may contact your City Council member directly.

April 15, 2022 Update

Updated design images are now available! See below for images of the four major intersections: Oak/Howes, Oak/Washington, Oak/Shields, and Oak/Jackson. See section "April 2022 Design Images" found on this webpage to view all improvement considerations.

Join the design team to review plans in detail and ask questions:

April 20 12p130p Virtual Design Review Meeting (registration closed- see meeting recording under "Meeting Recordings")

April 20 6p-730p Virtual Design Review Meeting (registration closed- see meeting recording under "Meeting Recordings")

Oak and Howes base improvements

Oak and Howes from the East

Oak and Washington base improvementsOak and Washington from the East



Oak and Shields base improvementsOak and Shields from the South East


Oak and Jackson base improvementsOak and Jackson from the South West




Additional information, including in depth information from the June 2021 workshop series, can be found in the "NEWS FEED" tab below.

  • November 2021 Project Update

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    The Oak St Project design team has completed conceptual plans for the project and design plans are currently being drafted. The design incorporates public input and balances the needs of multi-modal transportation, parking, safety, stormwater quality (i.e. LID systems), trees, preserving existing neighborhood qualities and budget. Streetscape designs will be ready to share in early 2022.

    To advance the design, we have been in the neighborhood collecting survey data and utility information. You may have seen us on your block. If you see us and have questions, please ask! We are happy to introduce ourselves and share what we know.

  • July 2021 -Design Workshop Summary

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    Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Oak Street Design Workshop, June 22-28, 2021!

    View the Oak Street Design Workshop Summary

    The workshop engaged City staff, residential and business community members throughout the week, and the design team learned a lot about what people would like to see along Oak Street.

    Each of the workshops was recorded in English and Spanish and can be found on this page under the "Meeting Recordings" box.

    Project representatives will continue to engage staff departments to further develop the streetscape design. Once the design concepts have been vetted and verified to meet design standards, updated concepts will be shared with the public.

  • Workshop Day 5 and Recap

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    We wrapped up the weeklong Oak Street workshop on Monday with two final online sessions. The design ideas that have received the most support were shared either as part of a base design or as potential enhancements. The base design features are those we will explore further to see if and how they might best be incorporated into the plan. Participants also helped to establish priorities for the preferred potential enhancements. This prioritization helped the design team understand which enhancements to pursue further.

    Since we are still early in the design process for Oak Street, all of the design ideas will require further analysis and engineering to determine their feasibility, effectiveness, cost, and alignment with the project goals. But this early input has helped to establish a foundation and direction for design based directly on your input - thank you!

    As we move forward with conceptual design, we would still like your feedback. The link below will take you to the Day 5 design ideas and enhancements shared. Please take a look and share your comments directly on this Miro board, or provide them here on the website.

    Priorities: Base Design and Potential Enhancements: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_l91zmlQ=/

    Thank you for your participation!

  • Workshop Day 3

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    We had another great day today - drawing and sharing a variety of design ideas for the Oak Street area. If you weren't able to attend the online sessions today we would still like your feedback. You can follow this link to see the design ideas along with feedback, pros and cons developed by the meeting participants. Share your comments directly on the Miro board!

    Design Ideas Review Board: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_l9GVXlo=/

    We'll be using this feedback as we dive in to more studio work tomorrow to prepare for the final meetings on Monday. We hope you can attend to see the results of the workshop and help us to establish priorities for the project design. If you haven't registered yet, its not too late, register here.


  • Workshop Day Two

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    Today has been great! We heard staff and community member ideas for the entire length of the the project- from Mason all the way to Jackson (City Park). As ideas were shared, we even had our landscape architects drawing and sharing ideas for people to reflect on and share thoughts. This image is an example from our Miro board! People also continue to provide their feedback through this Our City page, in the interactive map and by sharing their preferences through surveys.

    Downtown Connection: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_l-znoAw=/

    Residential Core: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_l-znoOg=/

    Shields West: https://miro.com/app/board/o9J_l-zgcl4=/

    Things are really coming together, and we are excited to share some drawings tomorrow. Join us for the design review meeting either at 2pm or 6pm. If you haven't registered yet, its not too late, register here.

  • Workshop Day One

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    Today’s workshop included meetings sharing an overview of the project to help kick-off our week of design. The site walking tour was hot and sunny but gave the design team, city staff, residents and stakeholders an up-close experience with Oak Street’s unique and beautiful character. Through these meetings and the website we’ve received great comments and insight to serve as a foundation for tomorrow’s design meetings.

    We've added some links to the right if you missed out on any of today’s meetings. Stay tuned here for more updates!

  • The why, what and how behind the June 22-28 2021 Oak Street Design Workshop

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    Why are we doing it?

    Although this is primarily a stormwater, flood control and water quality project, we’ll consider how this significant construction project may be able to support other goals, too. We’ll evaluate which features of Oak Street should remain and be protected, and others that could be rebuilt differently to support safe pedestrian, bike and vehicle connectivity, downtown events and provide healthy natural spaces for the neighborhood.

    How does it work?

    The initial ideas for the Oak Street streetscape will be developed during this design workshop. Community members and City department representatives with intersecting plans and projects are all to participate in the streetscape design ideation and refinement process.

    What is it?

    A public design workshop is an intensive, multi-day design session where city staff, citizens, designers, community leaders and technical experts will collaborate on the street design for Oak Street. The workshop provides a forum for creative ideas and provides both immediate and ongoing feedback loops between designers, stakeholders and the community. More importantly, it allows everyone that participates to have input and authorship in the design.

    The design team will set up a studio and carry out the preliminary design for Oak Street in real time. Group meetings, presentations and design sessions will be held throughout the week. The team will use the input received to develop the design alternatives, testing design ideas and seeking feedback and direction for the corridor.

    The workshop will begin with a kick-off presentation and walking tour. Hands-on design sessions through the week with presentations will allow continual feedback on the work as it is being produced during the open design studios. The public workshop will wrap up with a presentation where the draft work produced during the week will be shared with the community. Although this workshop will direct the basic street design direction, additional feedback and engagement will be sought throughout the project design and construction.

    You are welcome to attend any and all activities and events and to share this information with others.

  • Background: Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project

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    The Oak Street Stormwater Improvements Project has been identified as a top priority stormwater project for the City because it will significantly contribute to resolving the urban flooding and stormwater quality issues in downtown Fort Collins. It is one of several projects that have been developed as part of the overall Downtown Stormwater Improvement Program (DSIP).

    While primary goals for the project are focused on providing flood mitigation and water quality treatment of stormwater runoff, it is so much more than just a stormwater project.

    Located in historic Old Town and at the heart of the community, the project will work within the framework of the downtown core to sustain its unique character but also incorporate other important objectives where appropriate. These are:

    • replacing aging water and sewer mains to address aging infrastructure needs
    • improvements or enhancements to the multi-modal transportation network in the downtown area
    • enhancing the streetscape that follows guidance from the 2017 Fort Collins Downtown plan to meet the vision for the downtown area
    • protecting, maintaining and enhancing the existing urban forest and canopy
    • align with the Nature in the City program goals of access to nature, high-quality natural spaces and land stewardship
    • incorporating Art in Public Places
    • ensuring that all improvements are sustainable and maintainable so they may be enjoyed for many years into the future