Preferred square redesign exceeds city budget

Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc., the Springfield architecture firm working in conjunction with New York-based Project for Public Spaces, presented its ideas for the square during a council luncheon.

The design, according to BRP team member Frank Zanaboni, would be phased.

Phase I would include renovating just the inner square, by filling the area to bring it up to grade, adding green areas and renovating the existing fountain by adding an interactive water spray feature.

“The sunken effect of the square is counterproductive to what will make the square a safer, more program-friendly space,” Zanaboni said, noting that Phase I includes everything that can be completed within the city’s current $1 million budget.

BRP presented three additional design options. One focused on creating park space; another focused on creating a plaza environment; and a third design – recommended by the firm – is a hybrid of the other two.

The hybrid design, which would cost $2.97 million, includes streetscape improvements for the four roads leading into the square, as well as four “media towers” with speakers and lights. The towers also would act as structural supports for a canopy over the center of the square, creating an area for outdoor performances and shows.

City Public Information Director Louise Whall said that while funding for the project has not yet been completely determined, the city anticipates that renovations to the square itself could be funded through private sources, while street improvements would be included in future streetscape project funding allocated by the city. The media towers and canopy would be the last items to be added, and no funding has been identified.

Zanaboni said the design achieves the desired effect of creating programmable spaces while still preserving the fountain, which he called the square’s “centerpiece.” The square in its current form was designed by renowned landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, who also designed the United Nations Plaza in San Francisco and the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“It would easily be cheaper for the city to just bulldoze the fountain out of there and just build something new, but that was the one component of the square that we feel is the strongest piece of the original Halprin design,” Zanaboni said.

Allen Casey, principal of Casey Architecture, 205 Park Central East, Ste. 300, is not involved with the square project, but he’s not surprised that people want to preserve its historic aspects.

“I think people enjoy seeing and experiencing spaces that are historic with new features, or vice versa,” said Casey, who noted that his own firm’s offices inside the 89-year-old Holland Building feature a contemporary design inside a historic structure.

Zanaboni added that changing the design too much at this point could be problematic, as the city’s contract with Heer’s developer Kevin McGowan requires the city to begin work on the square by Aug. 1.

The proposed design was based partly on comments received at several public meetings and through submitted comments from more than 750 citizens.

Council plans to discuss the design at its Feb. 12 luncheon.