Fillmore Plaza Now a "Hybrid Design" that Serves Multiple Purposes

Design Workshop and Stantec/CommArts form a design team that partnered with the Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District to develop a hybrid design that marks the Gateway to "The New North" with high visibility and increased traffic flow into the District.

6 July 2011

Denver, Colorado – Design Workshop, an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm, and Stantec/CommArts, an international placemaking and environmental design practice, recently celebrated the opening of Fillmore Plaza—a public streetscape redesign project in Cherry Creek North Business Improvement District (BID). The project showcases an innovative urban design setting that can be easily converted from a plaza for special events into an open street which allows limited vehicular traffic.  Fillmore Plaza is the final improvement of “The New North,” the District’s privately funded, 16-block, $18.5 million streetscape project. It is the District’s first renovation project in over 20 years.

The Cherry Creek North BID retained Design Workshop as the landscape architecture firm on the project. Design Workshop was responsible for the overall design and coordination. Stantec/CommArts prepared the original concepts leading up to the successful bond election and the design of special features including programmable light blades, shade structure, signing and the District’s signature streetlight. The project’s team of designers collaborated extensively with District leadership, retail owners and area property owners to transform Fillmore Plaza (located between 1st and 2nd Avenues) into a vibrant retail and event space to increase pedestrian, shopping and visitor traffic. The reintroduction of limited vehicular traffic makes the retail and restaurant spaces adjacent to the new environment more attractive to potential tenants.

Other key goals of the project were to increase pedestrian “dwell time” and establish the location as a City-wide destination for activities. The new Fillmore Plaza serves as the gateway to the popular retail and dining District. “Much thought was given to creating an urban environment that is shady and comfortable by day and intensely romantic and pedestrian-friendly by night,” says Design Workshop Principal Todd Johnson.

A rhythmic canvas of brick paving spans the entire Plaza, Colorado Buff sandstone seat walls and planters punctuated by graceful benches, vertical “light blades” and a stunning shade structure distinguish Fillmore Plaza as a remarkable urban asset.

Fillmore Plaza can be closed to vehicular traffic to host events such as the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Cherry Creek North Food & Wine and the annual Sidewalk Sale. To allow for this, the northern half of the plaza is curbless and vehicle traffic lanes are defined by a trench drain, movable planters and retractable bollards. Permanent anchor points also allow for 12 event tents to be added when needed.

Other Fillmore Plaza design highlights:

• Seating: Room for approximately 400 people while in “street mode” on benches under trees, seat walls, steps, movable tables and chairs (provided by the Cherry Creek North BID), and café seating (provided by retail/restaurants).
• Furnishings: Bike racks, trash and recycling receptacles, benches and seat walls, District directory
• Lighting: new pedestrian lighting and tree lighting and programmable LED lighting in the light blades and on the center canopy.
• Shade: 24 new deciduous canopy trees and a center canopy with shade covering.
• Parking: No curb cuts and ten parking spaces in the south half of the street with a rolled curb.

Design and construction were funded by the Cherry Creek North BID through the sale of its own bonds. (No City of Denver funds were used). Other project design team members included JVA, Incorporated (civil engineer), PBQA (lighting designer), Scanlon Szynskie Group (electrical engineer), HydroSystems-KDI, Inc. (irrigation designer), Martin/Martin (structural engineer) and Fehr and Peers (transportation consultant). The program manager for the project was Nolte Vertical Five and the general contractor was The Weitz Company.

About Design Workshop
Founded in 1969, Design Workshop is an international landscape architecture, land planning, urban design and strategic services firm with six offices in the U.S. and work spanning the globe. The firm has been recognized with over 150 prestigious awards for its work in new communities, urban centers, resorts, public parks, golf courses and residences. The firm's philosophy challenges the project team to equally integrate and balance artistic vision, environmental sensitivity, community values and sound economics to create unique places that stand the test of time. It refers to this approach as DW Legacy Design®.

About Stantec/CommArts
The practice, founded in 1973 in Boulder and acquired last fall by Canada-based Stantec, has for nearly four decades participated in creating successful and enduring brands, environments and experiences. With projects in 22 states and 13 countries, Stantec/CommArts speaks great design with many accents and in many languages. With award-winning work in the planning and design of retail, resort, university and community projects, the firm is responsible for all aspects of the visitors’ experience from concept through completion. Stantec/CommArts connects our clients to markets, cultures and people with transformative ideas and design thinking.
www.stantec.com