Early concepts presented for arts corridor plan in Fayetteville

FAYETTEVILLE -- A proposed arts district and cultural amenity hub could take a variety of shapes depending on the input the city receives from residents.

A round of public input began Tuesday on the proposed cultural arts corridor downtown. City and project officials define the cultural arts corridor as a dynamic way to link downtown's attractions, from the Walton Arts Center to the Fayetteville Public Library.

Emphasis is placed on landscape elements and community art along West Avenue between Dickson and Prairie streets. Outdoor features, such as trail connections and boardwalks, at the Fay Jones parkland west of the library are also included.

In November, the Walton Family Foundation awarded the city a nearly $1.8 million grant to design the corridor. The City Council hired a team with Nelson Byrd Holtz landscape architects of Charlottesville, Va., last summer. Community art curation consultants Forecast Public Art came on as part of a separate grant.

All of the design work comes free to the city. The team presented concept drawings to the council members and the public Tuesday.

Five proposals for the parking lot at the the southwest corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue garnered the most attention. All five would significantly reduce the amount of parkable space at the lot.

Of the 340 acres comprising most of downtown, 70 percent of the surface area is impervious, said Breck Gastinger, lead project manager. Every scheme is designed to help with runoff and keep the space open and inviting to the public, he said.

"We think that there is a remarkable set of better possibilities for satisfying the needs for parking within the district," Gastinger said. "The opportunity within the West Avenue lot for a major civic space is a much greater use."

One of the design schemes for the 298-space lot at Dickson and West includes a parking deck to accommodate for the loss of spaces. The team also provided a map that would disperse parking to other parts of downtown.

However, many spaces that would be taken up at the West Avenue lot would be compensated elsewhere, Mayor Lioneld Jordan said. City officials want to know what parts of downtown residents consider to be within close proximity of destinations.

Possible options to add spaces include agreements with private landowners, adding parking to other lots the city owns and using a shuttle and sidewalks or trails to better-connect farther parking spots.

The other four schemes for the lot range in ambition. One includes a canal that would slice through it. Another would keep it as mostly open green space. Two others would leave room for festival tents along Dickson Street with a lawn in the center for events.

Kim Gillow, who works on campus, said she's not opposed to the idea of using part of the West Avenue lot for beautification and amenities. However, the timing of the plan to add parking elsewhere will be crucial, she said.

"Part of the reason that Dickson Street is as popular as it is is because it's easy to get to," Gillow said. "That's part of the reason why it's better than the square. If we take away all the parking before we solve that problem, it's going to turn into a big negative."

Project leaders are aiming to get a final design put together by the end of the year. A vote to renew the city's existing one-cent sales tax is tentatively scheduled for spring. Renewal of the bond would generate about $200 million for capital projects.

City administrators hope to have the allocation to build out the cultural arts corridor as its own issue for voters to consider. Other issues -- such as police, fire, transportation, drainage, parks and trails -- also would be separate votes.

NW News on 10/10/2018