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Design team unveils final concept for Bridge and Main park; community survey prioritized restrooms and flexible spaces
Summary
Ground Reconsidered presented a refined concept for the Bridge and Main parking lot conversion after months of outreach and about 2,300 survey responses. The plan centers on flexible gathering "rooms," an in‑grade misting water feature, a multi‑use stage, public restrooms and focused lighting while preserving a mural.
Ground Reconsidered presented the final concept plan Jan. 14 for converting the Bridge and Main parking lot into a public park, a proposal based on months of outreach and more than 2,300 public survey responses that city and design staff said were used to shape a flexible design emphasizing shade, performance space and year‑round lighting.
“We heard that public restrooms were really the number 1 item that we heard,” said Kristen, a landscape architect with Ground Reconsidered, during the council presentation. The design team said about 70% of survey respondents live in the borough.
The plan divides the site into three principal "rooms": a front entry that could include an in‑grade misting water feature and flexible paving; a shaded, more intimate middle space with movable tables and benches for everyday use; and a rear multi‑use podium or small stage intended to host concerts and community events. The team proposed canopy trees to increase shade, boulder seating and amphitheater steps on the sloped edge along Main Street to create informal seating without blocking sightlines.
Ground Reconsidered said the design retains and showcases the existing mural on a neighboring wall, includes bicycle parking and a modest mechanical/storage structure at the park’s edge, and calls for a public restroom — an amenity the designers said repeatedly topped public requests. The design also includes a limited number of hardscape elements and layered lighting intended to make the park feel safe and usable after dark; the lighting concept was presented by a subcontracted lighting practice.
Community engagement for the project included in‑person outreach at the farmers market, business‑owner sessions, multiple task‑force meetings and an online survey open from late summer into early September. The design team said they received specific feedback on parking tradeoffs; about 197 comments in the open comment field mentioned parking, most expressing concern about replacing existing downtown spaces.
Renderings included an in‑grade, flush misting/water play feature that can be turned off to return the space to open paving, flexible seating for daily use, and a small stage that doubles as seating and steps when no event is scheduled. Cost estimating, civil design and lighting were completed by subconsultants, the presentation said. Ground Reconsidered listed the project as a multi‑phase effort (gather, compose, refine) with the current plan representing the refined concept.
The designers said the slide deck and materials would be posted to the borough website. Council members thanked the team for extensive outreach; the presentation did not include a council vote. Future steps will include design development, engineering review and budgeting if council decides to move toward implementation.
