The City of Avondale Estates Board of Mayor and Commissioners will kick off construction of its new Town Green with a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, June 30 at 4:30 p.m. in the space behind the former credit union at 64 North Avondale Road, according to a press release.
The Town Green will extend from North Avondale Road on the South to the proposed Washington-Parry Connector on the North. The park plan reinforces Avondale’s distinctive Tudor character and is designed with inclusivity in mind. It includes walking paths, intimate gardens, open fields for passive recreation, pavilion for outdoor performances, space for events, provisions for food trucks, children’s area, dog playground and other amenities for residents, businesses and visitors.
Avondale Estates was founded in the early 1900′s as one of the first planned communities in the United States. Developed after the city’s founder, George Willis, visited Stratford-upon-Avon in England, the city was built around a Tudor style village center with small neighborhood parks and a lake – but no central gathering space for the city. Through a master planning effort and a subsequent design competition, the need as well as the site for the future town green was established.
Landscape architect firm SITE solutions guided the community through an extensive public involvement process gaining feedback on desired uses, amenities, and design elements to consider within the park. Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused the team to shift to a near virtual engagement process toward the end, the resulting park design was lauded by community leaders and the public at large.
The design for the Town Green focuses on the creation of adaptable open spaces for a variety of planned events and activation, ranging in scale from small private events to community wide celebrations.
Due to existing telecommunication infrastructure at the center of the space, a new pavilion is planned to provide a stage for regular performances and events while doubling as a screen to hide the utilities. The pavilion, like the materiality of the surrounding walls and garden paths, respect the historic context of the 1920s Tudor surrounds while providing a contemporary design expression.
Information: avondaleestates.org
