City Council Approves Square Design

Friday, February 15 2008 (04:07PM) | Posted by Rusty Worley | Downtown

In a special session held on Tuesday, February 12, City Council passed a resolution to move ahead with the first phase of the proposed redesign of Park Central Square. The new design was created by local architectural firm Butler, Rosenbury & Partners after a public input process.

Architect Tim Rosenbury was on hand to answer Council members’ questions about the design. He said during the input phase, more than 750 members of the public identified six key qualities a new Park Central Square should have. They said it should recognize downtown as an emerging entertainment district, it should be able to be enjoyed all types of people, it should have easy access for all, it should be an active and lively space, it should recognize downtown as an emerging residential district, and it should recognize Springfield’s history in some way.

Rosenbury also explained the four phases of the project. The first phase is the inner portion — the square itself. This would be paid for by a federal grant of that has already been secured. The second phase is the outer “corners” of the space, which is essentially the sidewalk area that extends to the buildings on the Square. The third phase is the “spokes” of roadway extending from the Square for one block east and west and a half block north and south. The fourth possible phase includes a pavilion in the center of the Square. The Urban Districts Alliance is taking the lead to look for possible private funding sources for the outer corners and the pavilion/canopy, while the “spokes” are already identified for eventual funding through the City’s ongoing streetscape improvements.

The resolution was approved 7-1, with Councilman Chiles voting against. Mayor Tom Carlson was not present. You can watch the meeting in its entirety on our Web site via TV23.

Written by Mike Brothers, Public Information Office, City of Springfield