News of the Public Square

On Saturday, it was noted on the Friends of the Public Square (FOPS) Facebook page that the display boards--one a business directory, the other containing tiles created by schoolchildren in the 1980s--had been removed from Seventh Street Park, restoring the view into the park from Warren Street.

Photo: FOPS|Facebook

This morning, FOPS announced that it has issued a request for qualifications (RFQ) for landscape architects interested in working with FOPS to create a comprehensive design for the restoration/renovation of the Public Square, a.k.a. Seventh Street Park. The RFQ can be found here. Responses to the RFQ are due on March 21, 2022.

The responses will be reviewed and a design team chosen by a panel made up of FOPS board members, Mayor Kamal Johnson, and experts on park design. The design team selected will continue to engage the community on desirable features of a rejuvenated square and prepare a design reflecting that input as well as the park's location within a locally designated historic district. The resulting comprehensive design will be used in applying for grants from public and private sources to fund the work required to make the design a reality.