City Center
Block
Conceptual
Design
Following a community-wide planning process, 黄瓜社区 was commissioned to synthesize, evolve and help prioritize elements that would combine to serve as core Downtown Dothan City Center Block projects - a major transformation and revitalization for this southern city.
The ambitious design envisions more than $200 million in downtown development projects to be financed and advanced through a combination of public and private sources led initially by the City of Dothan and the Wiregrass Foundation.
黄瓜社区 is the executive architect, and will work with multiple local firms to design and implement the following:
Open Space Areas 听
Porter Park Way - New Pedestrian Linkage and Events Plaza 听
New City Center Events Street 听
New East Roundabout and Poplar Head Park 听
Building-Specific Projects 听
Relocated City/Municipal Offices听
Transformation & Renovation: Wiregrass Arts and Innovation Center听
New Events, Sports and Entertainment Arena听
Opera House Enhancements/Addition听
New Hotel and Mixed-Use Developments听
Flexible Re-Purposed Space听
New Parking Structure 听听
The open spaces each have their own character. Porter Park Way will be a major public pedestrian pathway that links the City Center hub with business and retail activities downtown. The Events Plaza will include a tiered amphitheater, shaded areas and water enhancements, sure to become a popular destination for festivals and programmed events. The new East Roundabout synthesizes, organizes and brings efficiency to that area's multi-road/street/highway intersection.
Building-Specific Projects include an Arts and Innovation Center that gives the Wiregrass Museum of Arts a new home and also consists of a black box theater, community theater programming and performance spaces, and spaces for arts, entrepreneurship and community uses. The new +4,500-seat Events, Sports & Entertainment Arena will have multiple layout options and be a highly recognizable symbol for the downtown area. A new addition will add accessibility and functional space to the historic Opera House, and a new parking structure and privately-developed hotel will enhance hospitality.
The project will be implemented in phases over approximately six years.