The Mill Creek Town Center Plan was initiated by the City in 1993 to implement the City’s Comprehensive Plan for a new mixed-use center in the City’s central core area.  A planning process for the Town Center was prepared that included: preparing a community-based vision, marketing the vision to the development community, refining the vision into a development plan, preparing design guidelines and implementing the plan through a public/private partnership.

The community-based vision was prepared by the Town Center Steering Committee composed of property owners, downtown merchants, residents and elected and appointed City and state officials.  The Town Center vision described a well-designed, mixed-use center that would become the central focal area for business activity and community events, organized around a traditional Main Street design.  Marketing the vision to the development community resulted in Buchan Bros. Investments securing an option in 1994 on 2/3 of the land designated for the Town Center.  Working collectively with the developer, the Committee refined the initial vision into the Town Center Development Plan and prepared the Town Center Design Guidelines to control site planning, building massing, streets, landscaping, parking and signage.  A ground breaking ceremony was conducted in June 2002 and construction of the infrastructure for the first of three phases began.