Back From the Brink: People Make the Difference in Downtown Design By Michael T. Redd and Frank G. Baynham, ASLA This is a story of a downtown waterfront development on the brink of more than just water. Located on an intracoastal Florida waterway, the Central Business District (CBD) of West Palm Beach was suffering from serious decline. Like thousands of cities suffering from the same malady, a combination of forces-- malls, urban sprawl, suburbia, freeways and urban flight-- is contributing to the dangerous decline of downtown. Landscape Architects are usually members of the triage team trying desperately to save a patient, and as a profession we have tried almost everything to find the "magic potion" that can cure instantly: close the streets-- no, open them-- try a festival market, build an aquarium, or cosmeticize the storefront with streetscapes, street furniture, streetlights, even street cars! Yet in the final analysis, a barrage attack appears to work best-- an all-out broadside of citizen action, enlightened political leadership, savvy marketing, strategic financing and of course, quality design. The Problem Statement Although located in an enviable location -- along salt water amidst yachts in a beautiful subtropical setting--, West Palm Beach's CBD resorted to boarding up storefronts-- so Clematis Street, the geographic, visual, and financial town center, was scheduled for a drastic operation. Clematis Street splits into a "Y" at water's edge and wraps around an aging and "aesthetically challenged" (to use the PC term) downtown library. A logical place to begin treatment, Clematis Street proved a hurdle for Team Plan, Inc., the firm charged with leading a full complement of design professionals to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the new downtown neighborhood. Serving as coordinating consultant and Landscape Architect, Team Plan Inc. set out to save the library... by making it go away! Although ugly, outdated, and sporting 60's kitsch, the library was preserved by a city referendum passed by 72% of the voters. 72% of voters agreeing on anything is hard to imagine, but one thing was for sure: no politician, civic leader, or city employee wanted to include its removal within any design, and there was little money for a face-lift in the budget. Therefore the library would have to be graciously incorporated into the final design scheme. Although covered with garish 60's green glass and gold window trim, the basic lines of the library weren't bad. A threefold design slowly emerged: paint, fix and hide! Pulling a magic trick like David Copperfield, a coat of basic beige paint from end to end allowed the structure's architectural lines to read at their best, while the low-key color visually diminished its mass. Subsequent redesign of the "front porch" entrance provided a necessary focal point for the town square, and, by revealing the lower level a second story elevation was exposed to uncover nicer architectural lines. Crucial to the landscape design, Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) grace the main plaza in front of the library. Because they occupy such a central position in the design and were the primary vertical hiding element, many factors were taken into consideration to determine the species: massive shade requirements to cool off the plaza required a tree with a large spreading canopy; a necessary immediate effect required a large-sized tree; "to palm or not to palm" became a real issue because of the many available species of Palms in South Florida; urban street tree conditions required a tough resistant species; and salt tolerance was considered because the library is a half-block away from salt water. The selected trees were hand-picked matched specimens in 300-gallon boxed containers. A statewide search located the trees at Skinner Wholesale Nursery near Jacksonville, and the trees were North-marked in the field to guarantee on-site orientation would match the sun angles of their previous growth and ensure a smooth planting transition. Get People Downtown! Everyone who's anyone in urban planning agrees that without people, even the best plans and the biggest budgets fall short. So the plan needed a piece of cheese to lure the mice downtown-- but these mice all had different tastes! Locals, tourists, kids, retirees, business people, shoppers, and a variety of ethnic groups had to be addressed and somehow enticed downtown, to revitalize and bring safety to the streets, and to breathe life back into our patient. Now here was the tricky part-- what would work? A carillon? No-- that would only draw a crowd for concerts. A retail outlet? No way-- the abundance of malls in the area was slowly wiping out retail. A sculpture garden? Too static. Even a carousel was considered. Finally, the idea for a fountain emerged-- but not just any fountain. One that would cool, invite, and serve as a visual attraction. The fountain design sprung from a play on the old adage "form follows function;" yet, in this case, "function followed form." To be exact, our town square followed the form of a triangle. The bifurcation of Clematis Street forms a strong triangular shape, and any other fountain shape seemed to fight the existing geometry. However, fountains are a dime a dozen in Florida and are usually filled with algae generated by the tropical sun. So this one was envisioned as part of the streetscape with no real "edges," designed to look just fine when turned off. To encourage playful fun, people (especially kids) can walk right through it, as it constantly changes shapes with jets of water... in random patterns, in guessable patterns, in symmetrical patterns, in ... well, you get the idea... Let There Be Water! The Clematis Street spine points directly to the intercoastal waterway, and ends at the water. Yet ironically, a large elevated plaza in front of the library made it impossible to see the water. The existing triangular "square" in front of the library consisted of a 10' retaining wall holding up 2,500 yards of earth. While this allowed an on-grade entrance to the upper floor, it completely blocked the view of the water behind. This entrance plaza was simply dug up and hauled away in order to open up views of the water, but it was quite spooky to tell the client that our proposal to diminish the visual impact of the library was based on turning it from a one story edifice to two! Get 'Em All on Board! This train was bound for glory and everybody had to be on board! The city fathers were nervous about spending $4.5 million on a life support system for their extremely sick patient. So the mandate was set to make sure everybody felt warm and fuzzy about the plans, and that meant everybody. The unique landscape architectural contract specifically listed over ten groups who had to be satisfied. These included merchants who were all suffering from higher taxes, fewer customers, and a decaying infrastructure. Sunfest, Florida's largest waterfront arts and music festival which annually injected $16 million into the starving downtown economy. The citizens, a wonderful m????(C)lange of races with an equally diverse socioeconomic layering who reside in impoverished inner city neighborhoods and million dollar homes both just blocks away from the site. The Library at the apex of the "Y" in Clematis, more than just a looming presence, had "friends of" and "boards of" members all concerned about everything from access during construction to the final face lift of the building. The Downtown Development Authority was formed years earlier to promote business and aid the rejuvenation process. The Bank, a large and venerable local institution sitting astride one of the major cross streets on Clematis, asked to vacate that street as part of the plan. The Community Redevelopment Agency, the city's official administration arm for all work and the actual client, consisted of the city commission with a knowledgeable and involved citizen advisory group of downtown business leaders. The Centennial Committee was a pro-active group of citizens charged with the responsibility of carrying off West Palm Beach's 100 year celebration with the downtown project as its centerpiece. A Children's Museum housed in a historically significant Women's Club, sat directly behind the library, and although maybe it was going to stay... maybe it wasn't. Finally, coordination with the other design teams involved was crucial, for besides having over ten subconsultants for our group, another firm, Urban Design Studios, had been given a significant portion of the design. In what could have been a recipe for disaster, our two firms shared a common boundary between the areas of responsibility. The location of that border? Right through the center of Town Square! The Solution Consensus, leg work and shoe leather were our primary design tools. Once the design was in a presentable format, the design team hit the bricks... literally. Every single property owner, merchant, retail shop owner, restaurateur and business principal was contacted... on-site and in-person. Lawyers, bakers and skate rental owners were all interviewed by a senior design staff member with plans in hand. Sometimes the most skeptical of land owners were the easiest to turn around. One restaurateur was vociferously against the project because of the fear that his on-street parking would disappear; the design team pulled out the plans, showed the owner before and after parking counts (exactly the same), and his concerns vanished. In fact, he became a proponent of the design (he has since expanded twice). The owner of an in-line skate outlet needed only to be assured that the sidewalk in front of his store would be smooth enough for even the shakiest beginners. He has since moved across the street and doubled his space. Other groups were lobbied in a series of rolling public forums or "focus workshops"-- mini pep rallies led by the design team cheerleaders. A series of high quality visuals were commissioned with easily recognizable landmarks included in the sketch. We sought newspaper coverage, met with editors, lobbied city commissioners, made presentations to clubs. And on and on. By the time the project was being voted on for final allocation of funds, no one raised a dissenting voice-- not a soul! Just over a year after project completion, the downtown turnaround is unprecedented. Numerous leases have been signed with renovations currently underway turning empty buildings into viable business. Weekly "Clematis By Night" gatherings draw crowds, exposing thousands to the new retail and restaurant offerings. Residential apartments are offered for sale for the first time on Clematis Street. More importantly, everyone involved believes that this is only a beginning for the transformation of our downtown into a dynamic entertainment and economic community. Cutlines for photos: 1. A view of the pre-renovation library showing the second story entrance into the modular 60's architecture. 2. The comprehensive Waterfront Master Plan prepared by Team Plan, Inc. illustrates the utilization of specialty paving and theme planting to help create a "neighborhood" feel for a downtown renovation. 3. Artists' renderings were utilized to generate consensus among the various user groups during the design process. This drawing illustrates the proposed centennial fountain at town square. 4. Weekly street parties draw large crowds of business people and families to the downtown for free concerts and art shows. 5. The centerpiece fountain has become a favorite spot for "free" entertainment for young and old. Provide access to ALL people; young, old or disabled, whether participating or just spectating. 6. Careful attention to lighting insures a dynamic impact from the project elements through the evening hours. 7&8. The computerized fountain controls allow an infinite array of interactive displays that attract people into the fountain. Achieve the greatest fountain movement and complexity by using the simplest means. 9. Specimen container grown (300 gallon) Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) were utilized for their instant effect and shade giving capabilities. 10. Sand set modular concrete paver units were utilized for their multiple shapes, design flexibility and ease of future repairs. Utilize "bullet-proof" technology to insure longevity and easy maintenance. 11. Cast stone was utilized to create the custom triangular fountain pavers. The ability to form any shape and color along with excellent durability provoked this material choice. All illustrations provided courtesy of Team Plan, Inc.