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Mayor highlights University Square redevelopment as 'Bell Tower Center'; Urban Air announced for 2025
Summary
Mayor Michael Brennan told Council the University Square property transferred to new owners and will be redeveloped as Bell Tower Center, with a garage peel-back planned next spring and an Urban Air trampoline park targeting late 2025. Council discussed signage, facilities planning and timing.
Mayor Michael Brennan said Monday that the University Square property has transferred to new ownership and will be redeveloped into the Bell Tower Center, with major visible changes expected over the next two years.
The redevelopment will include an early peel-back of the garage next spring, Brennan said, and the new owners have told local media they plan an Urban Air trampoline park in the former Tops Grocery space, targeted to open in late summer or fall 2025.
The announcement came during the Mayor’s report at the Oct. 7 City Council meeting. "We’re redeveloping University Square," Brennan said. He described the project as the fulfillment of a campaign promise and urged residents to follow future public updates.
Council members welcomed the news but emphasized coordination with larger facilities planning. Vice Mayor Michele Weiss and Councilmember Christopher Cooney said they prefer to wait on some City Hall signage and siting decisions until the new facilities site plan is finalized so signs and entrance treatments will complement the overall layout.
The Mayor recommended Guide Studio’s Phase 2 signage materials be used to inform bidding. Council agreed to bid the Purvis Park sign and to consider panels for the Susan Infeld gazebo, while deferring a City Hall sign until the new facilities site plan is clearer.
Why it matters: the redevelopment represents a significant private investment and will shape downtown activity and municipal wayfinding over the next several years. Council members said they want to ensure public-facing elements — from signage to the City Hall site plan — are coordinated with the larger redevelopment effort.
What’s next: the administration said it will work with Guide Studio to prepare bid documents and return to Council at a future meeting with cost estimates and design details.
