Concept plans for a small park around the downtown cenotaph envision a place of tree-shaded benches for window shoppers and pedestrians out for a stroll.
A pair of proposals for the $1.3-million plaza on Ross Street were unveiled at an open house at City Hall Tuesday evening.
They show a similar space jutting out into Ross Street and surrounding the cenotaph. Two lanes of traffic would pass to the south, maintaining the existing jog in the road that has been in place since construction of Executive Place began in the summer of 2007.
City parks superintendent Trevor Poth said one of the goals in the Greater Downtown Action Plan was to create another park to complement the popular green space in front of City Hall.
Besides emphasizing the cenotaph’s historical significance in the downtown, the plaza is expected to slow down traffic and make the downtown more pedestrian-friendly.
The two versions proposed are similar, but one reduces the size of the plaza to allow for five more parking spaces on the north side of Ross Street, which would replace five stalls lost on the south side of Ross Street.
Three additional parking spots would be created on 49th Avenue.
This design reflects parking concerns of some downtown businesses raised at a meeting of the Greater Downtown Action Plan Committee.
The park is a little larger in the other version, which would result in a loss of two parking spaces from the pre-construction configuration.
Construction of the park would begin, likely in June or July, once street level work on Executive Place has wrapped up.
Terry Warke, one of the owners of the Ross Street business Sunworks, liked what he saw in the concept plans.
Since downtown traffic patterns were altered vehicles have slowed and more people are noticing the businesses along Ross Street.
“I’m really looking forward to having the park in there too,” he said.
Korean War veteran Douglas McNeely is among those who would like to see the cenotaph moved to City Hall Park, where it would be more accessible.
McNeely said since it appears that the city has made up its mind to keep the cenotaph where it has stood since 1922 he hopes they do the best job possible on the park.
“The proposal is definitely an improvement over what they have at the present.”
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com