A city committee outlined two possible visions for the redevelopment of Library Mall and the 700 block of State Street Monday, with ideas spanning from better traffic flow for food cart lines to creating places for permanent art installations.
The two design plans proposed at the Joint Southeast Campus Area Committee for the reconstruction of Library Mall both focused on the functionality and safety of the area, Principal Planner Bill Fruhling said in his presentation.
“We want to make sure that the design is flexible to accommodate changes in the way the space is used overtime…and we want it to be also durable and easy to maintain,” he said.
He said the one concept would involve an off-center ovular, grassy space in the area between the Historical Society and Memorial Library. The space would also maintain the fountain or another water feature in the middle of the area.
The other concept, dubbed the “great lawn concept,” would involve a more rectangular space between the buildings. This concept would not have a fountain in the middle of the space, but might on the side nearest Memorial Library.
Either way, Fruhling said the area needs to allow for easy passage from one end of the area to the other for pedestrians.
He also presented a design for the 700 block of State Street that included parameters to balance the flow of pedestrian traffic and crowding from food carts. There would also be “amenity zones” at the sides of the center section for trees, seating, lighting and the carts, he added.
Fruhling explained the food carts could be turned so customer lines would not intercept pedestrian flow. On the outer edges of these zones would be eight-foot “clear zones,” to accomodate pedestrian traffic.
He added there is not much that could be done with the 800 block of State Street, but that the committee is working on suggestions to align the sidewalks of Bascom Hill with crosswalks, to make it more clear that pedestrians should priority in crossing North Park Street.
“There really aren’t the opportunities there that there are in the 700 block to activate the space,” Fruhling said. “The way it’s designed right now … it basically can almost only be a pass through.”
Still, Furhling said the committee is looking at making the entire area more aesthetically pleasing.
Norma Salvidar, a University of Wisconsin-Madison Arts Institute representative, said the committee in charge of planning and designing the space has an artist on board to explore different ways to incorporate art into the area.
“So making it visually attractive, making it visually interesting, making it visually connect with our emotions about a place, this is all very important,” Salvidar said.
Salvidar said she suggests the committee go a step further than the inherent art in architectural design. She would like to see the plans include public, permanent external art or utilize lighting in interesting ways.
Fruhling also alluded to using lighting in creative ways to provide both safety and aesthetic aspects to the area.
The State Street Oversight Committee will further discuss plans for the area next Thursday. Fruhling said a public information meeting will be scheduled for sometime after October.
