Unless they’re just doing a heck of a maintenance job, it looks like the long-rumored redesign of Burnett Park downtown is underway. Crews are removing flowers and shrubs as I write this, and the fountains have all be shut off and drained. The plans for the park are several: the granite planter boxes around its perimeter will be removed, and replaced with flush ground-level planters of flowers; the sunken grass between the granite walkways will be removed, the ground raised to be flush with the walkways, and grass replanted; the fountains will be removed, filled with earth to be flush with the walkways, and replaced with grass and flowers; the old Christmas tree will be removed and replaced and the fencing around it removed; and a sculpture/kid’s play area will be created.
No renderings, alas, but the changes will hopefully help to make Burnett Park more park-like and less of a business plaza. I wish they’d go the extra step and remove the crisscrossing granite walkways entirely, but I suppose there’s costs involved they don’t want to pay. Recreating the old pond would be great as well, but ditto the costs.
(Demolishing Burnett Plaza and rebuilding the Medical Arts Building would be great, too, but alas, that’ll never happen.)
Any plans for the Traveling Man sculpture in the park? Will he be staying?
I believe the Traveling Man will be staying. I went to the Burnett Park meeting and they did not mention getting rid of him.