Veterans Plaza: The math about areas of use

[jamie r. karn]

The existing “green” artificial turf space is approximately 31,000 square feet of unfettered, highly flexible open space that varies from 100 to 150 feet wide and averages about 210 feet in length. The proposed plaza with it’s large roof and rows of trees leaves only about 10,050 square feet of open, unroofed, and un-stepped surface for its main plaza. This main area averages only 40 foot wide (about the length of three small cars) for most of its length.

On May 5^th, the county officials marked out on the existing turf the outline of the civic building and the footprint of the proposed pavilion roof. The officials did not chalk out the line between what will be open plaza and the area that is to be the Veterans Memorial, which will be comprised of paired rows of trees, planters and benches on either side of the main walkway to the civic building. They also did not mark out the line at which the entire plaza surface is to step four steps down to the rink level. These omissions left the impression that the area between the pavilion roof and Ellsworth Avenue was going to be open plaza. In fact, the open plaza area between the step-down in the plaza and the tree planters is quite narrow, and the open sky space between the proposed roof and the proposed tree canopy averages only about 40 feet.

The overall area in front of the civic building is approximately 31,200 square feet in size (excluding the 1600 square feet that is under roof at the building portico). This overall square footage is divided for use as follows:

-the planted bank and steps that slope down to Ellsworth Avenue are approximately 3,500 square feet in area.

-the Veterans Memorial area, with its paired rows of trees, planters and benches and the walkway to the civic building adds up to another 3,500 square feet.

-approximately 2,450 square feet of area is devoted to planting, steps and transitions in the surface to allow access from the Fenton Street sidewalk.

-the ice rink itself appears to be only 5,250 square feet, but the total area of steps, ramps and circulation path around the rink comes to approximately 6000 more square feet. In other words, approximately 11,200 square feet of area is recessed down 20 inches from the main plaza level to accommodate the 5,250 square foot rink. This division of the plaza in half, into two levels, is all due to the purported need for access to a skate rental and equipment space below Adega.

-the amount of square footage that remains open, without trees or roof, for the main plaza level is only approximately 10,050 square feet out of the overall 31,200 square feet. This main level is wrapped around the rink and is only 30 feet wide at its narrow point between the row of tree planters and the steps down to the rink level. This main open plaza is 1150 square feet less than the area used for the rink and access to the rink and skate rental space.

-There are approximately 600 more square feet of planted areas around the plaza.

The pavilion roof, over the ice rink is approximately 6,920 square feet. As was clearly demonstrated on the projection screen at the May 5 hearing, the glazing material does cast solid shadows. Despite claims to the contrary, during the winter, when the sun is low and rises and sets further to the south, the pavilion roof will cast shadow over substantial portions of the open plaza until approximately 3:00 in the afternoon. If this assessment is not accurate, the applicant for the project can easily dispel it by sharing with the community the sun/shadow studies for the winter months. Thus far the studies have not been made public.

Thank you.

[jamie r. karn]

Tom,
The answer to all of your questions is no. City place is northwest so no shadows on plaza. The other buildings near the plaza are too low to cast much of a shadow. The pavilion roof is 30 feet high and right on the plaza, along its southeast and part of the southwest sides.

I was on a team that competed and came in second place in the civic building and plaza design competition. I have a great deal of admiration for Machado's building and for the aesthetics of the pavilion, just know that it is too big, due to forcing it to grow for the ice rink.

Thanks.

[Tom Collins]

Jamie, will surrounding buildings cast shadows on the Civic Building and Veterans Plaza, too? What if City Place were to get an office tower approved... would that have a shadow impact on the space?

You seem to know a lot about this subject. Did your firm bid on the Civic Building project?