A community meeting regarding ideas for some improvement projects along 3rd Street took place on Thursday, May 29, in the historic Laramie Railroad Depot, and was attended by a substantial number of Laramie community members.
The City of Laramie hired a team of several consultants in order to get input from the community about how to implement several beautification projects along 3rd Street. Ranging from finding areas to potentially plant more trees, to redoing the fence around the Montessori School, the project aims to make 3rd Street a more pleasant one to drive down, as well as paving the way for more potential commercial activity downtown.
One of the ideas presented on the variety of poster boards was enhancing the lighting in certain areas of downtown, using ambiance lighting and other methods to make downtown both more aesthetically appealing and safe for travelers at night. On this topic, one of the consultants stated, “A big part of what we’ve heard is that in the winter months . . . there are parts of downtown that don’t feel like downtown because they’re not well lit. But there’s so much opportunity for that, whether it’s sconce, lighting on the actual façade . . . and the Laramie beautification committee is going after a grant to do edge lighting on buildings.”
Another point of focus was Laramie Mainstreet Alliance’s facade grant program, which offers financial support to property owners along 3rd Street to renovate building exteriors in a historically appropriate manner, preserving the area’s character while encouraging modern updates. One consultant said, “The Laramie Main Street Alliance actually has a façade grant program, and they’ll do all kinds of things from replacing awnings to windows and things like that. They have a great program that’s been very successful over the past couple of years.” The consultant pointed out how the Connor Hotel might be improved with some small touch-ups.
The consultants also proposed replacing the chain-link fence around the Montessori School along 3rd Street with a more visually appealing design, potentially incorporating decorative elements or local art. Planting additional trees along the corridor was another popular suggestion, with attendees highlighting the benefits of increased shade, improved air quality, and a greener urban landscape. Others thought that too many trees weren’t befitting of Wyoming’s character, and it was pointed out that certain strict tree-planting laws apply to Third Street, as the road is technically US Highway 287. Other ideas included adding small bits of local artwork and even doing light murals on certain buildings at night.
The meeting made it clear that Laramie residents care deeply about the look and feel of 3rd Street. While opinions varied, there was broad support for practical improvements, better lighting, tasteful building updates, and small artistic touches. If done with care, these changes could make the street more inviting while still remaining true to the town’s character.
