Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cal Anderson Memorial topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Final designs for Cal Anderson Memorial presented; 90% design in May, construction aimed for 2027
Summary
HBB Landscape Architecture presented the Cal Anderson Memorial 60% design: a contemplative plaza east of the Sunken Garden with a precast bench, lighting and a large polished boulder for engraved text; designers will present 90% designs in early May and the committee will hold a decisional meeting in early September with construction expected to complete in early 2027.
Aaron Luoma of HBB Landscape Architecture presented final-design details for the Senator Cal Anderson Memorial, an on-campus contemplative plaza east of the Sunken Garden intended to honor Cal Anderson’s legacy. The design centers on a circular plaza framed by a seat wall and integrated berms to fit the historic Olmsted-inspired campus, an iconic specimen ornamental tree (Japanese snowbell), native and seasonal plantings, a precast concrete bench with drainage and integrated lighting, and a large polished boulder with swooping polished bands intended for engraved commemorative text.
Luoma described ergonomics and materials: the bench will include drain holes, a notch to house lighting, and rounded corners for comfort and accessibility; the boulder is a substantial stone (discussed in the presentation as a large granite specimen) with polished bands where text will be read left to right. Designers asked the committee to solicit input from people who knew Cal Anderson well to help craft the final plaque text within the dimensional constraints set by memorial guidelines. Luoma said the 60% design package has been submitted to DES; a 90% design review is scheduled for early May and the committee will consider a final decision in early September. Construction is anticipated to be largely complete in early 2027 with a planting/ribbon-cutting celebration target in June 2027.
Designers noted modest cost increases since the 2024 conceptual estimate driven by railing, boulder selection and some sidewalk replacement; the 60% materials include technical details for demolition, grading, lighting, paving, planting and irrigation. The presentation concluded with an invitation for further stakeholder input and future briefings.
No formal vote was taken at this informational update.
