TOP: The “Celebration” concept for Eau Claire Street. BOTTOM LEFT: The third library-city hall campus design. BOTTOM RIGHT: The fourth campus design. Check out zoomable design sketches for Eau Claire Street here and the Library Campus & City Hall Area here.

It’s almost here. What we’ve been waiting for. The exciting stuff. The design of our future downtown.

After Ayres Associates presents their recommendation for Barstow Street (one way or two) on May 9, the work that will follow is a fury of creativity. They gave us a taste of what’s to come at the April 18 meeting by presenting four design ideas for Eau Claire Street. And not only did they include exciting elements such as promenades, duck-ins, sculptures, and fountains, but officials say the reactions to these will likely dictate the design theme of the entire project (including Barstow, Graham, and the riverfront). And at the next public meeting (late May or early June), officials say we can expect to see those very images put to paper.

“Based on what we’ve heard so far, we have a pretty good feel for the theme, and the makeup of the design will reflect that.” – architect Garret Perry“Based on what we’ve heard so far, we have a pretty good feel for the theme, and the makeup of the design will reflect that,” said Garret Perry, an architect with Design Studio Etc. working with Ayres.

With the ideas presented, Perry said they intended to incorporate a design theme and patterned nodes of interest all the way up to the library and city hall. The first street design, “Modular,” is the most conservative, with a few special nodes by natural interest points, a little thematic paving, and some plantings. “Connectivity” is a bit more aggressive, with paved crosswalks, themed pavings the entire width of the street, and more regular patterning/planting nodes “marching to city hall,” as he put it.

The “River Flow” theme gets even more exciting, with a curving paver pattern resembling water and inset chunks resembling logs, plus aggressive interest points, but all of it on the theater/library side of the street exclusively. “Celebration” is a combination of all of it in a promenade style, with tons of plantings, water-resembling pavers, a curbless street without parking, and sculptures.

With each there exists an opportunity to eliminate curbs, add bike lanes, widen sidewalks, reduce parking to one side or altogether, and/or add exciting design features like plantings, artwork, and placemaking markers, Perry added.

 

A library/city hall campus design. Check
out zoomable design sketches for
Eau Claire Street here and the
Library Campus & City Hall Area here.

Phil Johnson, of Ayres, said people’s comments thus far have showed “a very obvious lean” toward both “River Flow” and “Celebration.” If that continues to be the case, picture these elements on Barstow and the riverfront, because that might be what we see in the next designs.

Perhaps the most exciting design ideas presented at the last meeting, however, regard the area between the library and city hall. Hyett Palma’s study of downtown in 2001 included a recommendation that this area become a town square gathering point. Well Ayres listened and brought forth four ideas.

The first (and, again, the most conservative) merely adds a duck-in for dropping people off or picking them up (also for book drops) with a sculpture in a median. The second would make Eau Claire Street one way for this block, has more aggressive paving work, also has a duck-in, and adds more parking. The third gets more exciting still, by eliminating the street on this block entirely and creating a centralized plaza with a water feature, plantings, and pedestrian elements. “This is an area meant to draw the public,” Perry said, pushing forward to the most aggressive scheme yet, one in which they removed the U.S. Bank between the library and city hall to create a massive campus with all the elements presented in the third, plus more.

It will no doubt be a while until we see the whole design approach, but there’s reason to get excited. And still an opportunity to make yourself heard.

Check out zoomable design sketches for ...
   >> Eau Claire Street
   >> Library Campus & City Hall Area

For more information, to give your two cents, and to stay in tune
with updates, visit AyresAssociates.com/ECDowntown.

Eau Claire Street - Design Concepts

Eau Claire Street "Riverflow" Concept >> click to zoom

.

Eau Claire Street "Modular" Concept >> click to zoom

.

Eau Claire Street "Connectivity" Concept >> click to zoom

.

Eau Claire Street "Celebration" Concept >> click to zoom

.

Eau Claire Street Cross Section Alternatives >> click to zoom

*All design sketchs by Ayres Associates

Library Campus & City Hall Area - Design Concepts

Library Campus/City Hall - Concept A >> click to zoom

.

Library Campus/City Hall - Concept B >> click to zoom

.

Library Campus City Hall - Concept C >> click to zoom

.

Library Campus/City Hall - Concept D >> click to zoom

*All design sketchs by Ayres Associates