Water features as a focal point
Many cities around us have built rivers into their downtown plans. Greenville was actually a tired empty downtown before the man-made Falls Park became a magnet for development. Cary’s Downtown Park (seen here) has a smaller water presence in size, but it is a statement to the feeling that water can bring to a community.
We have water, right below our N&R site!
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Greenville built a man-made waterfall park
Reedy Creek was opened up and water from the upstream facility was added, boulders placed, and a lock system built. Suddenly, a dead zone of downtown became the identity of an active city. Development sprung up all around the river. Lots that had no interest, were all-of-a-sudden, valuable. Greenville did all of this in 2004!
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Dining, retail, office - all better by the water!
The river or water feature doesn’t have to be the main story of the N&R site. It can be the spine that divides the lot into two sides of riverfront property - as Greenville did with a major river down the middle - or it can be a series of falls and walls that tie it all together as a path or a sculputre would, as we see in Downtown Cary. It can be a a boulevard as in San Antonio or Oklahoma City, or we could invent our own way - a feature below our walking bridge, beside our offices & residences, right next to our stadium. Maybe with a sculptural element that ties into the railroad geometry of Gate City Station?
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Downtown Cary did it.
One of the greatest opportunities beyond soccer or pitch sports, is that of concerts. These images are from Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, where their stadium serves as a concert venue often. This is the same size stadium that we have drawn into our explorations in the animation video above.
