Square ideas down to two: Park or plaza

Tim Rosenbury, a principal with Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc., said either of the concepts would achieve three goals driving the public redesign process. Rosenbury told Springfield City Council members at a luncheon last week that the square must be:

• engaging;

• shared; and

• functional from both management and maintenance perspectives.

For months, BRP has been working with New York-based Project for Public Spaces 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.

Rosenbury said there’s public support for an entertainment district and a vibrant park that appeal to people from all walks of life. The square’s newest incarnation – its ninth since the mid-1800s – also should celebrate Springfield’s history and enhance the surrounding residential areas, he said.

While Springfield destinations like Battlefield Mall and Bass Pro Shops have evolved over time to meet customers’ needs, the square has essentially stayed the same for 35 years, Rosenbury noted.

In recent weeks, BRP architects have been mulling the square’s traffic flow and studying how pedestrians will interact with vehicles. Right now, Rosenbury said, the plan is to leave the existing one-way street passing through the square.

“It cannot be a pedestrian-only space,” he said. “That’s just not the Springfield way.”

The rest of the square, though, will be pedestrian-oriented, said Rosenbury, who presented two possible design concepts.

(Click here for renderings of the park and plaza concepts for the square.)

The park concept would encompass 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 would hinge on flexibility, with the inner plaza offering family-oriented activities during the day before switching to adult-focused dining and entertainment at night.

Both concepts likely would incorporate landscaping and public art, as well as kiosks and outdoor dining areas around the square’s outer edge, Rosenbury said, noting that increasing activity on the square through creative programming is key to the square’s success.

“This is more than a capital improvements project, because it involves how you use the square once it’s done,” Rosenbury said.

Following the presentation, council members questioned whether a $1 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration would be enough to pay for the upgrades. About $150,000 of that money already has been gobbled up by BRP’s design contract.

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

The design team has been working with Public Works Director Phil Broyles to identify additional funding sources for what Rosenbury dubbed an “economic development project.”

City officials have said they view the 80-20 matching grant – the city had to pitch in $140,000 – as a starting point for what probably will be a phased project.

Broyles said the bulk of grant money would likely pay for improvements to the square’s core, such as raising its sunken center to street level.

“To finish everything, I don’t think there’s any doubt it’s going to take more than the money we have,” he said. “But the money that we have now should go a long ways toward taking care of the square itself.”

Revenue from the city’s N-cent capital improvement tax also could be used to offset the cost of installing new sidewalks and lighting around the square.

Between $400,000 and $500,000 of the tax revenue is annually allotted for the upkeep of center city’s historic districts, Broyles said.

Rosenbury said BRP would unveil a master plan for Park Central Square some time in January. If everything goes as planned, the redesign’s first phase of construction would start in August.

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