The Latest On Library Park....

I was down filming the park's ongoing effort today and ran into someone who knows a lot about what the park is actually going to look like when it's completed. The park's fountain gets the facelift, and that's quite obvious just from the amount of work done on it so far, but the sidewalk that used to run behind it will not return. Instead, the stage that butts up against the wall might just extend all the way to the fountain so that there is more room to use on the stage itself. If you're standing on the sidewalk out on Church street and facing north, looking into the park, to the left on the back wall (by the portapotty), a "shed" might happen to end up there and tables and chairs could possibly be available for the coffee and hotdogs that might just be served from the carts that might become a permanent fixture on the sidewalk over on the Church Street frontage side. The right side might be grassy and the goal might be to set up some chess tables in this area. Who knows, you might even be able to get chessboards free of charge, so long as you leave a small deposit that would be returned upon receipt of the board. Heck, there might even be a Bocce Ball court for fun and games in this area! Trees similar to those currently lining the streets downtown might dot the park; no place for pigeon and starling roosts any longer. A local florist just might be placing decorative flowers and plants around the area in order to both add some color and some business at the same time. The area might also serve as an event area for the library and other organizations and groups. There just may already be a number of events set up to utilize the newly renovated area in a way that will truly make the park a multi-use, user-friendly place to hang out. Visitors might just be able to grab some decent coffee, eat a hot lunch, get in a game or two of chess and/or Bocci Ball, and all without the hassles of wading through pigeon doo or guarding your hotdog from voracious rats. The elephant in the living room of course is whether the park will still be a place where the Homeless gather. The short answer so far is "yes and no." The park's planners made sure that no one would be excluded from the area and this goes for the Homeless. The difference now will be a design that encourages multiple activities and events. The hope is that the Homeless will be just one of many groups that can call the park their own. The area should have enough diversity and usable space that everyone can find something to their liking while there. Thats the dream, anyway. One thing I am very interested in observing is the upcoming interaction between the Homeless and the rest of the community in this space. It's not a very large area and it will certainly allow for some rather "intimate" contact, to be sure. My hope is that the community recognizes not all Homeless folks are stereotypical bums pushing shopping carts full of rags and cans. Conversely, I hope the Homeless recognize not everyone downtown is hoping to send them into the wilderness. Time will tell and it ought to be an interesting experience, indeed. I'm holding my breath already.....