As in many cities all over the U.S., the downtown in Arlington, Texas, struggled to regain its prominence in the community. In addition, planned community parades, concerts, and festivals created the need for a public plaza that could be closed off to vehicular traffic and then reopened as a typical city street. Its lackluster pedestrian experience was a critical factor and initiator for the Abram Street project, for which the City of Arlington brought in Parkhill, a multidisciplinary firm of Landscape Architects, civil engineers, and architects to guide the project to completion.

Public Input
Public engagement played a very prominent role in the process. Fifty two separate tracts of land were impacted, along with many other stakeholders and users. The team used several techniques to communicate with all involved.

Parkhill's Larry Stone, P.E., employed personal conferences, public presentations, and social media. Buy-in on the overall concept was not difficult to achieve. Still, the process became more sensitive when the project impacted personal property and personal space. The team made a deliberate effort to address as many issues as possible to achieve approval of property owners.
For example, new safety standards eliminated on-street parking within fifty feet of any street intersection, impacting many properties. When feasible, the city added other amenities to the streetscape to incentivize property owners with parking in front of their storefront removed.

Defining Downtown
The design team, led by Parkhill's Victor Baxter, PLA, and urban designer, Jim Richards, worked to create a gateway that celebrates the entry into downtown by utilizing several design features. A series of monuments were installed on the fringe, providing visual cues for visitors as they begin the approach to downtown Arlington.
The threshold into downtown is defined by two 20-foot-tall obelisks that frame the entry with an accented signalized intersection. A large swath of pavers crosses the street with an intricate design that provides pedestrians with a safer experience.

These gateways became known as the "Welcome Mats to Downtown." The design includes the addition of densely spaced street trees, intense landscape areas, stamped concrete walkways, and paver accents that line the sidewalks within the downtown area.

Walkability
This was the key to the success of the project. The street was narrowed to three lanes to prioritize the pedestrian and reduce the vehicular impact, encourage walkability, and create more space for pedestrians and on-street parking. Wider sidewalks were added throughout the entirety of the project. Intersections and drive approaches were accented with premium paving to add definition.

Both parallel parking and "back-in" angle parking were provided where possible. New safety standards were applied to protect pedestrians and provide visibility at intersections for a clear separation between vehicles and pedestrians.

Crosswalks were provided at controlled intersections. Street tree plantings were added to provide separation for the pedestrian, provide shade, calm traffic, and add a human scale element along the journey.

Sustainability
Since urban stormwater runoff is heavily
polluted, and space is limited for remedial measures in a downtown environment, the design team worked with the public works staff to develop a system that would clean the "first flush" of stormwater by capturing it in a biofilter designed to fit in restricted spaces.

 
The intent is to slow down the flow, filter the water biologically, and return the water to the system at a higher level of water quality. Six of these biofilters are placed throughout the corridor.

Event Space
Downtown Arlington hosts a wide variety of events and festivals. It was determined during the design process that all major intersections needed to be closed to provide a safer pedestrian experience.

The design includes electrical hookups and control centers along the central corridor. These elements were judiciously placed to be screened from visitors yet are convenient to access
during events.

The design celebrates and showcases the essence of building community by providing a space that hosts all events while maintaining the integrity needed for safety and security.

Central Plaza
The Levitt Pavilion, an already successful venue, is directly across the street from City Hall and at the center of the new corridor. Events at the Levitt Pavilion already required street closures due to the many it hosts
throughout the year.
The proposed solution by the design team was a dual-function space that, throughout the typical day, serves the vehicular traffic but can transition to a plaza closed to vehicular traffic
when needed.

Bollards, planters, and trees replace the curb, providing more visual interest while
maintaining a high level of safety. Two sets of hydraulic traffic-related retractable bollards protect the plaza from errant vehicular traffic during organized public events.

As the bollards are raised, signals are activated to warn oncoming vehicles, and digital message boards alert oncoming traffic to seek an alternate route.

Raised terraces provide informal gathering areas for expanded capacity for the amphitheater, where guests can spread out a blanket, put up folding chairs for a concert, or view a parade.
The grand staircase leading to the City Hall can also function as informal seating for events. Following an event, the traffic controls are removed, the bollards go down, and the plaza becomes a street again.

An Impressive Promenade
Four forty-foot-tall sculptural towers form a promenade along axial views from all four directions, aligned along the street and anchored on the steps to the City Hall.

The sculptural theme "Flammes d'Illumination" symbolizes a portal of flames through which a ceremonial parade, two of which are annual events, would pass, symbolizing the American Dream City - Arlington, Texas.

The sculptures are accented with multicolor theatrical LED effects that are themed for a specific event or season, or they can be aligned to illuminate the street.

All Said and Done
The project encapsulates the long-term vision of the City of Arlington by creating a walkable, safe place for all. The mile-long project completely rebuilt the street from right of way to right of way and created a gateway entry that announces your arrival.

The project's completion also became a catalyst for development in the area, including two significant mixed-use developments and has transitioned the demographic of the downtown area to a younger age group.

Abram Street has transformed the life of the city and has changed the downtown environment to a more leisurely, pleasurable experience.
Team List
Client: City of Arlington, Texas - Trey Yelverton (City Manager),
Keith Brooks, P.E. (Director of Public Works), Andrea Ruales, P.E. (Project Manager),
Daniel E. Burnham, P.E., PTOE, (City Traffic Engineer)
Prime Firm and Landscape Architecture: Parkhill - Chad Davis, ASLA (Sector Director),
Victor Baxter, ASLA, Spencer Freeman, ASLA, Ephraim Strasse, ASLA
Managing Office for the Project: Parkhill | Schrickel Rollins - Arlington, Texas
Urban Designer: Jim Richards
Civil Engineering: Parkhill | Schrickel Rollins - Sanford LaHue, P.E., Larry Stone, P.E.,
Joe Bradley, P.E.
Structural Engineering: Renate Woods, P.E.
Electrical Engineering: Yaggi Engineering, Inc. - Tim Yaggi, P.E., Preston L'Ecuyer, P.E.
Signalization and Traffic Control Devices: Stantec, Inc. Rhett Dollins, P.E.,
Dominic Chevrier
Sculptor: Michelle O'Michael
General Contractor: Rebcon, Inc.