Carroll Creek Park is a world-class, mixed-use, 1.3-mile urban park in the heart of historic downtown Frederick, Maryland. An engineering marvel, the park is designed to rest atop massive parallel concrete box culverts that provide flood control. The box culverts run the entire length of the park. A gap between them was designed to create the Carroll Creek feature that is the spine of the park project. Like a zipper, the park ties the northern and southern banks of Carroll Creek and downtown together.

Spanning five city administrations and over 30 years, the second phase of the Carroll Creek Park Project was completed in spring of 2015 with an overall construction budget of $40 million. Planned development projects adjacent to the park include more than $150 million in new or renovated office, retail, and residential facilities. More than 580,000 square feet of new or renovated office/commercial space and 300 residential units are nearly complete. It is estimated that the project will create more than 1,500 new jobs and add more than $2.5 million in annual local property taxes.

Background
Downtown Frederick was devastated by Carroll Creek flooding in both 1972 and the historic flood of 1976. With millions in property losses, several dozen buildings were left vacant or underutilized.

Following the floods, the city, with the assistance of Rummel, Klepper and Kahl (RK&K) undertook extensive hydrologic studies of the Carroll Creek watershed to determine the extent of the problem. The results served as the basis for all future flood-related planning in downtown Frederick. The use of Baker Park to hold flood waters was introduced. Various concepts for development of an open flood control channel through downtown were floated; ultimately the closed conduit design was approved in 1983. This closed cell design allowed for a narrower ribbon of right-of-way to be acquired. It also was more aesthetically pleasing and allowed for park development and adjacent development to occur - a critical component of the plan. In 1983, conduit construction began and completed 10 years later.

The Park Master Plan
The Carroll Creek Commission began planning for Carroll Creek Park as construction started on the flood control project. Design work for a park master plan was initiated under the capable hands of Jacobson Wallace Associates (JWA).

In 1991, the city enthusiastically adopted the final Carroll Creek Master Plan - an exciting vision for the development of Carroll Creek Park. Led by the Carroll Creek Commission, JWA crafted an overall design for a creekside park through historic downtown Frederick. The park plan called for commercial, residential, cultural, and recreational development. A core part of the plan was to attract new infill development into downtown.

 
Phase One
In June 2003, elected officials gave financial approval to begin the final schematic design for the park from Baker Park to Highland Street. The city retained HNTB Corporation, RK&K Engineers and Delta Fountains for design services. In February 2005, the city awarded a $10.2 million construction contract to Morgan-Keller, Inc. Construction officially began in April 2005 and was completed in June of 2006. Total construction costs were $10.7 million. Improvements included fully accessible and continuous walkways and bikeways, bridges and a 350-person amphitheater. Other enhancements included a feature pergola, ornamental light fixtures, landscaped planters with canopy trees, ornamental trees, shrubs and grasses and numerous site furnishings. Materials complemented the historic setting using local stone and clay pavers for walls and paving.

Phase Two
In 2006, Frederick committed to design continuity for Carroll Creek Park and amended the HNTB contract to retain the Phase One design team, which included staff from the city, HNTB, RK&K and Delta Fountains. The team worked collaboratively to complete the design in 2013. The construction contract was awarded to Waynesboro Construction. This phase of construction was completed in the spring of 2015.

Design Overview
Our design team was committed to adhering to the original master plan vision and creating seamless and fluid continuity with the Phase One Project. Designing within a well-conceived master plan was foundational to the success of the project. This framework freed us as designers to simultaneously focus on adjoining context (existing and planned) and how spaces were to unfold sequentially for users as they move through the park. We were fortunate to step into a design project where much of the heavy lifting had already been done. The city of Frederick was founded in 1745 and has a historical character. We took our design cues from our design predecessors. Their design approach was not to attempt to recreate historical design, but to use classic historical materials in a contemporary way that integrated well into historic context. This approach not only applied to design within the park, but also to new buildings and developments that were part of the master plan for this district. This approach to design made sense and became fundamental to our design approach.

The adjoining context for our Phase Two Project was quite varied. The first type was planned buildings that faced the park. For these buildings we met with developers and architects to create designs collaboratively to provide a seamless interface between their buildings and adjoining spaces in the park. In all cases, the feature spaces we designed in the park had to function in an interim and ultimate condition.

There also was a large brick historical building (Union Knitting Mills), which was to be renovated and redeveloped, but it had to function in the interim until the project was redeveloped. Even though this was a historical building, we weren't constrained by the 106 process. We had much latitude to design a plaza with geometry that used bold radial bands and arcing terrace walls. The geometry and patterns were muted by a color palette that was consistent with other paving in the park.

The third type of building that fronted our park was either a building or industrial complex that existed prior to the park being developed. Many of these presented a back side that was less than attractive. Our approach was to screen these edges to the extent possible, trusting that when these properties were redeveloped the park could be modified to accept the new use.

The fourth edge condition has local streets or parking lots adjoining the park. Generally, our strategy was to create a buffer to separate and screen these edges. Access points were controlled but provided where needed.

Park as Linear Experience
Most Carroll Creek Park users experience the park in a linear movement. Fortunately, the adjoining land planning framework, the park master plan and the previous phases of design and construction (there were many other smaller construction projects along the way) established a very thoughtful, comfortable and pleasing sequence of spaces in the park, whether travelling east to west or west to east. Much of the rhythm of the park was set - our job was to enhance this experience and not mess it up. We focused on maintaining full accessibility, addressing user safety (CPTED design principles) providing unobstructed movement through spaces, and delivering shade, seating, waste receptacles and drinking fountains along the paths at regular intervals. As we developed designs for feature spaces - we were mindful of the overall linear experience.

Unifying Materials
The base unifying materials in the park were natural stone and clay brick. Both materials were used in walls, bridges, fountains, columns and paving. We inherited many design details that were used through all phases of construction, which also reinforced park cohesiveness. As designers, we were also free to introduce variations on this base palette as accent points throughout the park. For Phase Two we introduced large scale concrete pavers in the Union Knitting Mills and McCutcheon Plazas, black clay pavers with bluestone banding in the Galleria Plaza and a local stone blend (that was complementary to stone that we had also used in the park) for the East and West Terrace Fountains and stone mechanical building.

The Phase One Project introduced many high-quality site furnishings including ornamental pedestrian lights, accent lights, benches, drinking fountains and bicycle loops and racks. These features complemented the historic nature of the park and we used all the same pieces in our phase of work. There were minimal furnishing introductions required.

Team List
Owner: City of Frederick, Maryland
Richard Griffin, Director of Economic Development
Design Team: HNTB, Arlington, VA; RK&K, Baltimore, MD;
Delta Fountains, Jacksonville, Fl
Contractor: Waynesboro Construction, Frederick, MD

As seen in LASN magazine, March 2020.