Patriots Square Park

Patriots Square Park is an urban park located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It is a 2.5 acre (1 hectare) mixed-use park containing open space, an outdoor performing arts stage, and food concessions. The park also serves as a decorative cover for a public parking structure located underground.

Patriots Square Park is the location of a number of community celebrations such as the Arizona Asian Festival and Cinco de Mayo celebrations. The park is also listed as one of the Phoenix Points of Pride. It was constructed in 1976 and named in honor of the fighers of the Revolutionary War, and redesigned in 1988 by Alexander and Associates, including the parking structure.

Redevelopment Controversy

Often maligned as being underused and forgotten, Patriots Square Park became a fixture in local news in 2006 when RED Development's ambitious CityScape plan was expanded to include the park, approved by the Phoenix city council. [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special48/articles/0411biz-cityscape0411.html|title=CityScape plan grows in scope|author=Craig Harris|publisher=The Arizona Republic] The CityScape project is a large-scale urban redevelopment project that includes retail, hotels and high-rise construction. [http://downtownphxrising.org/]

Initial reports of the park being subsumed into the private project were met with sharp criticism, with angry residents raising objections over the city's actions. In spite of official statements claiming the plan was key to revitalizing the park, [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special48/articles/0910patriotspark0910.html|title=Fight brewing over plans for $900 million project|author=Ginger D. Richardson|publisher=The Arizona Republic] residents rallied against the perceived loss of park-space, and forced RED Development and the city to redraw the plans, unveiled at a public forum. Reaction to the redesign, while viewed as a minor victory by some opponents, was still largely negative. [cite web|url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0212patriotpark0212.html|title=Plan for Patriots Square touches nerve|author=Ginger D. Richardson|publisher=The Arizona Republic]

Plans to redevelop the park are still underway, and the homeless continue to inhabit the park.

External links

* [http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/parks/patriots.html Official site] City of Phoenix parks page
* [http://www.savepatriotspark.org/ http://www.savepatriotspark.org/] Citizen group opposed to the redevelopment

References