Scottsdale wants to link Old Town, Civic Center

A proposal to create a “gateway” from Old Town Scottsdale to the Civic Center Mall to encourage more foot traffic between the two could be a boon to area businesses and the arts scene, city officials say.

Officials recently began searching for an engineering consultant to redesign the west entry into the Civic Center Mall, on the east side of Brown Avenue at Main Street. The roughly two-acre area encompasses a landscaped corridor between Brown Avenue and a circular water feature known as the Jud Knowlton Fountain.

Right now, the area looks somewhat dated, with cracked and chipped fountains and brick walkways that radiate heat from the afternoon sun back at pedestrians.

“This whole entry area is going to be redesigned. For people in the Old Town area, we want to create a gateway that draws their attention to the mall area,” Makinen said. “There’s nothing right now that draws them over here.”

NEW SIGHT LINES

One way to do that is to open up the lines of sight from Old Town to the west entry into the Civic Center Mall, he said. The mall is a large outdoor public space with grassy areas and public art, bordered by the Mondrian Hotel, the Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and numerous restaurants and bars.

“They want an area where you can see farther back into the mall,” Makinen said.

Moving to the east, the mall crosses a large overpass over Drinkwater Boulevard and connects to the city government complex, which houses such things as the City Hall Kiva — where the City Council meets — city offices, the Civic Center Library and large grassy areas with more fountains and sculptures. Ducks and geese are known to frequent a man-made lagoon there, although the lagoon is currently being renovated.

Area businesses and arts boosters have welcomed the gateway proposal. Paul Martinez, manager of AZ 88, a bar in the mall, said better integration between the mall and Old Town is a positive step.

“Any foot traffic in here is going to help our business. We’re very much a visual place,” Martinez said.

Bill Banks, president and CEO of the Scottsdale Cultural Council, which oversees SMoCA and the city’s public arts program, said it has been a challenge attracting foot traffic from Old Town, particularly because of the parking garage just to the south of the proposed gateway site. The multilevel garage is northwest of Brown Avenue and Second Street.

“Anything that helps people overcome the unsightly block that parking lot presents is a welcome addition,” Banks said. “That can only improve attendance at our events.”

PART OF DOWNTOWN PLAN

Makinen said the proposal for a gateway between the mall and Old Town arose as one of the concepts in the Downtown Plan, a long-term growth management document the city is drafting for the downtown area.

When the plan is finished, it is to be included in the citywide general plan.

Other components of the gateway proposal include plans to remove a temporary metal handicapped access ramp bridging the sidewalk along Brown Avenue and the mall area with a permanent ramp. The brick walkways could be redesigned and new public art and lighting introduced, as well. The ‘Yearlings’ sculpture of three running horses there could be moved but will remain on the site, and the water features will be replaced with new versions that would use less water and require less maintenance, Makinen said.

CONSULTANT COULD COST $250K

It could cost the city up to $250,000 to hire a consultant to draft the plans, Makinen said. The consultant is expected to be on board in a month or so, and will be charged with developing the designs and cost estimates for construction. The designs could go to the City Council in late fall.

Many of the large trees would remain, including a decades-old Indian Banyan tree that provides ample shade. Environmentally friendly materials would be used in the renovations, Makinen said.

“We want to make it a sustainable community gathering place,” he said.

The project could be broken into two phases, with utility work being done first. Actual construction might not begin until 2010, he said.

The public restrooms, however, are to be demolished in September and replaced with a new structure in mid-November, Makinen said. The new restrooms would double the number of restrooms from two each for men and women to four each, but would retain outdoor sinks.

“This whole thing is going to be demolished and it will be replaced with a whole new facility,” he said.

The existing restrooms, which were built in 1970, could cost about $300,000 to replace, he said.