Location: NW and SW corners of 5th Avenue and Atlantic Avenue
Architect/Engineer: NW corner: CH2MHill; SW Corner: Currie Sowards Aguila Architects
Contact: Diane Colonna, CRA Executive Director, 276-8640

Project Description: The Downtown Master Plan calls for the creation of public plazas at the northwest and southwest corners of Atlantic and West 5th Avenue to emphasize the prominence of the 5th Avenue corridor,  as well as to provide public space for community interaction. Removing some of the landscaping adjacent to the Fire Station property will create the northwest corridor plaza. A design for the northwest corridor was prepared by engineering consultants CH2MHill in conjunction with the 5th Avenue streetscape.

The southwest corridor plaza required the acquisition of a privately owned property, and was completed in June 2010. The West Atlantic Public Plaza includes an open area designed with a mixture of pervious paver and terrazzo bricks, landscaping, a trellis structure, and decorative lighting. It also has a platform stage covered by a shade sail canopy that can accommodate a variety of live performances, and benches to provide seating. The CRA invested approximately $300,000 into the plaza's construction and design. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on June 24, 2010, in conjunction with Art & Jazz on the Avenue.

The CRA allocated an additional $15,000 to include a public art feature at the plaza. In February 2010, the CRA issued a call to artist to solicit proposals from qualified artists. The design will be finalized later this summer, and the art feature will be installed on the northeast corner of the plaza by the fall.