In an effort to further improve the Greek Row area, principle planners of the Greek Row Revitalization Plan and property owners will meet at noon Tuesday at University Plaza to discuss the basic points of the plan.

The revitalization plan was created after the city, residents and owners in the Greek Row area voiced their concerns about certain aspects that need to be addressed.

With the plan’s objectives in place, the goal is to improve the area’s lighting, safety, pride, appearance, economic development, zoning and code enforcement.

Nicolette Grenell, community development intern and principal author of the revitalization plan, said despite Tuesday officially being the start of the Greek Row plan, some objectives outlined within the plan already have begun.

“We’ve already been working extensively with the lighting issues and sending word out to residents of the Greek Row area to do their part in improving their properties and making them safer from crimes,” Grenell said.

Paul Rasmussen, primary planner and overseer of the project, said an important goal for this meeting is to establish a trust with business and property owners while receiving feedback about the plan.

“Major things for the Greek Row plan to work is to have property owners buy into plans we present,” Rasmussen said. “The meeting specifically is for them to talk about elements of the plan to see if they would be willing to work with us.”

Sue Guio, community services planner for the city, said Tuesday’s meeting also is an attempt to familiarize the planners and those affected by the plan with one another and create a healthy working relationship.

“This meeting won’t necessarily be for policy making as it will be to get to know Greek Row property owners, such as business owners and people who own space within this area, including landlords of buildings,” Guio said.

Rich Richter, owner of Hemispheres, 1015 W. Hillcrest Dr., said the need for this kind of meeting has been evident for awhile.

“The whole general area needs help,” Richter said. “But I think the aldermen should come to us and ask us about what needs to be done. I haven’t seen anyone come to us in over eight years.”

The meeting, however, will not include anyone from NIU’s Greek system, but Grenell said the planning board would meet with fraternities and sororities at a meeting sometime in December. That particular meeting will be designated as a time to discuss and analyze the efforts required of fraternities and sororities to meet certain goals within the plan.

A few new aspects of the plan will be introduced at the meeting. Creating a special service area for those within the Greek Row area, as well as introducing new ways to deter crime through landscape maintenance, are the two new objectives that will be talked about during the meeting.

Overall, Grenell said the plan won’t be tackled with full force until sometime next year.

“But we are not going to just have it approved and then set it aside,” Grenell said. “The first order of business at the meeting with NIU talked about the Greek system being largely cooperative. Once the lighting is done, I think people will begin to see things increasingly progress. But it will take time.”