What's next for thriving downtown Hudson?

Downtown Hudson, Wis., is a vibrant community that is likely set to expand in the near future, making it a great place for those buying a home.

As a result of the growing community, city officials are beginning to plan short-, mid- and long-term goals to ensure residents are getting all the services they need, and one of the first issues to tackle is parking. The parking committee, which is a group of representatives from the city of Hudson and the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau, are currently going to certain businesses to collect data on how much parking they will need for their employees and customers.

"We feel with the vibrancy of Hudson and the great business mix downtown, it makes Hudson a destination," Kim Heinemann, chamber president, told the Hudson Observer. "With the growth comes parking challenges. We are working to collect this data to help us determine if we need additional surface parking or a ramp."

The city noted that it has already met many of its short-term goals, like updating its parking map throughout town and on its website. Some of the city's mid-term goals are to identify any additional options for parking, while long-term goals will include a vision for the future, like adding additional parking ramps.

"We realize this is a positive thing that we have a parking problem," said Heinemann. "It means are businesses are thriving and it also means we can plan for the future so we do not follow the path of other communities who drove customers away because access became too difficult."