The city of Arlington is taking suggestions on how to breathe new life into a stretch of roadway that runs through much of the city.
New York Avenue could use a major face-lift. The aging north-south corridor is south of the Entertainment District and the General Motors Assembly Plant.
"There's so much potential," said Tina Huynh, one of the many business owners on New York Avenue.
She said she sees a bright future for the road, which includes homes built in the 1950s and '60s, several aging shopping centers and crumbling infrastructure.
Man Phan, whose family owns Ptt Restaurant, said addressing road needs is key to attracting customers.
"There's a lot of potholes that makes it dangerous for the customers to come down -- potential damage to their vehicle, potential accidents -- which then diverts them to other routes," he said.
Drivers opting for other routes mean fewer drive-by customers.
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Huynh, who co-owns Lily's Florist, also pointed to aesthetics.
"Cleaning up the streets more -- it definitely gets a lot of litter," she said.
Phan also suggested an increased police presence.
"In Arlington, especially in our area here, the police presence makes it better for the neighborhood, better for the business owners, makes it safer for the customers and therefore brings business," Phan said.
The city is looking for ideas on how to develop the New York Avenue Corridor Strategy for a public-private effort to revitalize the stretch of New York between Arkansas Lane and Abram Street.
The city hopes to make the East Arlington area more functional and accessible, more pedestrian- and bike-friendly and a destination for businesses and customers.
"We're so close to the stadiums, both the Rangers and the Cowboys, so we want to have something nice for tourists to come look at," Huynh said. "[The area] is definitely diverse in culture, so it's something for everybody, but we need to work on it."
A public input meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Senior Recreation Center on New York Avenue.
