City staff reported that Phase 1 (existing‑conditions analysis) for the South Town Center project is complete and that the project team is moving into the design and public engagement phase. Staff said they have already engaged more than 150 residents at festival outreach, run a consensus workshop with the volunteer advisory board and distributed project materials via local publications, and that they will host both virtual and in‑person town halls and begin door‑to‑door outreach to businesses in the study area.

Why it matters: The South Town Center project is an early master‑planning and design effort intended to create redevelopment guidance for the area; staff said community input will shape alternatives, and specific outreach to HOAs and businesses is planned to capture operational and economic concerns. Staff emphasized a mix of digital and traditional outreach to maximize participation.

Next steps: The consultant team will contact HOAs and property owners for focused engagement, conduct business outreach via door‑to‑door packets in late September, and provide monthly public rollups of outreach results on the project website. Staff said the project will include design analyses, market data and workshops to develop preferred land use and site design options.

Scope and limits: This update was a progress report; no council action or funding decision was requested at the meeting. Staff said future council briefings and decisions will follow as design alternatives are developed.