The city of Springfield, Mo., will begin renovations on its Park Central Square in downtown after a 4 p.m. Friday ceremony to restore it to the original 1970s design by acclaimed urban architect Lawrence Halprin, according to a news release from the city.
The square is where various Route 66 alignments on East St. Louis Street, College Street, and Boonville Avenue come together.
More from the release:
The renovated design will be more open and inviting to pedestrians and will mesh with the pedestrian-friendly design of the improved streetscape surrounding the Square, which was completed last fall. The project includes the removal of non-historical additions that weren’t intended by Halprin & Associates, plus the replacement of elements that have been lost during the last four decades. Select new infrastructure additions will bring the space into the modern age, including improved lighting and greater accessibility for all. The new additions will be incorporated in a historically sensitive way, and have been approved by the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office. The project will restore what was, in Halprin’s words, “an active space for pubic assembly, devoted to pedestrians and their needs and comforts.” […]
Aged and worn pavers in the center of the Square will be replaced, as will seating blocks that were removed many years ago. The fountain, a centerpiece of the Halprin design, will be fully refurbished and equipped with modern, energy-efficient components. Several trees planted in the years since the original design will be removed. However, many more trees that were intended in the original design will be planted. When the project is complete, there will be twice as many trees in Park Central Square as there are today.
The project will cost $1.78 million, covered by a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development Economic Development Initiative and a city sales tax on capital improvements.
In recent years, when we’ve driven through Park Central Square, it’s apparent that block and the area around it have seen quite a resurgence. That includes the historic Gillioz Theatre, which reopened in 2006 after an extensive face-lift.
You may not have heard of Halprin, but you’ve probably seen a few of his works. He designed the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington; D.C., and the approach to Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park, among others.
(Via KYTV)
what will the finished square look like.?