Sallie DeWitt’s dream for the center triangle
September 29th, 2005 by Administrator
Sallie DeWitt has a vision I think is worth a look.
She imagines the Point’s center triangle cleared out. The fire station and community center have moved to a new site close by. In their place is a well-planned space that–thanks to the good design and other forces–is dominated by people most people would be happy to sit next to.
My interest is in creating a town center. I see the center triangle—all of it—as a park complete with a bandstand, lawns, gardens and park benches—a beautiful gathering space for our community, space for our art and music fairs, a farmers’ market and the like.
On ordinary days, you may also imagine a free wi-fi hotspot where laptop-equipped office workers are scattered among locals on a lunch break, tourists, and others referred here by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
Just as important will be the fact that we will be able to stand on one side of the triangle and actually see to the other side. This will be very unifying for our community. Not being able to make visual contact across our little town center—the present situation—fragments our community. We now have to literally walk around the triangle to put on our events.
In addition to the center-triangle town center, I also see a new community center, library and fire department located outside the center triangle but close by. We need these, of course, and the plan to create a town center will include these—in addition to parking. It’s a question of where these fit into the picture.
Once the ball starts to roll, I believe answers to these questions will be found. Nothing is impossible, in my view. It’s a matter of money and attitude.
Naturally, skeptics like me have questions. “Great! Who’s going to pay for all of that?,” we might ask, followed by, “Who’s going to persuade the city to sell the library?”
Yes, those are good questions, and I think Sallie might have an answer or two. But for now let’s take another moment to shut up and dream. After all, her dream isn’t even on any ballot yet. And if you ask me, the Vision Thing always comes first.
One Response to “Sallie DeWitt’s dream for the center triangle”
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I love this idea. For somebody who knows almost nothing about PR, it still seems obvious that the buildings on the square should go. They are another example of the 1960’s mistaken experiment with town planning and design. The fact that the library building only faces one side of the square (the other side is blank) demonstrates a huge error and on bad days looks like a middle finger pointing at the center of the town. That it has been closed for over a year makes this mistake even more painful I think. Does PR have the guts and vision and ability to tear those building down? I hope so. I agree with Miss DeWitt, they should be torn down. I moved here from Healdsburg where I had an office overlooking the town square there, with 100+ year old redwoods, a bandstand, drinking fountains, bathrooms, and flowers galore. In spite of Healdsburg’s misfortunate devolution from a funky working man’s town with tons of character into an expensive bland enclave of the super rich (too rich for my bookstore), the Healdsburg square will always remain the heart and soul of that town, where the maids and janitors mix with Joe Montana and Sam Sheppard (even though now they bus the little people in for “color”). PR could have their square restored, I’m sure there is a a way. Todd.