Downtown square concepts narrowed to park, plaza

Tim Rosenbury, a principal with Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc., said either of the concepts would achieve three goals driving the public redesign process. The square must be engaging, shared and functional from both management and maintenance perspectives, Rosenbury told City Council members at a luncheon Tuesday.

For months, BRP has been working with New York-based Project for Public to gather public input about the square’s strengths and flaws. The firms conducted a fact-finding tour in August followed by public workshops in September.

The BRP design team has since generated two draft concepts for the square.

The park concept revolves around a flexible green space in the square’s center that would lend itself to leisurely uses as well as various events and festivals.

The plaza concept also hinges on flexibility, with the inner plaza offering family-oriented activities during the day before switching over to dining and entertainment for adults at night.

Both concepts would likely incorporate landscaping and public art as well as kiosks and outdoor dining areas around the square’s outer edge, Rosenbury said.

Council members questioned whether a $1 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration would be enough to pay for the upgrades.

“I think – for a million dollars – it’s going to be an enormous challenge,” Rosenbury said. “… This is a concern, and it’s one that we’re working on. We will have a financial plan.”

The public is invited to view the redesign concepts and share their opinions at an open house Thursday. The event is scheduled from 5–7 p.m. at Hagerman New Urbanism, 122 Park Central Square.

See SBJ’s Dec. 3 issue for more about the Park Central Square redesign.