Summary
This alternative emphasizes variety and personal engagement through therapy gardens for the adult clients, a community and educational vegetable garden, an amphitheater, a memorial space, natural areas, and two exciting themed playgrounds. One of the playgrounds would belong to the public. Most of the rest of the improvements would belong to Neighborhood House and could be available to the public at the discretion of Neighborhood House.
Needs Addressed
The staff and clients of Neighborhood House as well as the members of the community have provided valuable insight through their feedback. While not all ideas could be addressed, this plan meets the following desires: adult clients were very interested in flowers; adult program staff members were interested in therapeutic elements for their clients and desired that these amenities be near their building; community members expressed interest in a community garden and in a community gathering place; children program staff members desired features that would provide interactive and experiential activities and features that could be included in science lessons; children’s program staff also mentioned that the older kids needed better sports facilities; children liked flowers and play areas; adult program staff desired a memorial area for deceased clients and coworkers; and finally community members wanted natural areas and Utah-oriented landscaping.
Elements
- 11,500 sq. ft. Community and educational garden.
- 16,000 sq. ft. Therapeutic gardens with water fountain area to provide soothing sounds.
- 1,500 sq. ft. Memorial space with mementos to commemorate deceased clients and staff.
- 25,400 sq. ft. Natural areas along the river.
- 2,600 sq. ft. Garden playground with percussion instruments. Children can learn about plants and interact with them through play. Children can also create music and rhythm.
- 9,800 sq. ft. Utah theme area and playground. This public playground provides a unique atmosphere for playing and for learning about the state.
- 2,400 sq. ft. Amphitheater. This feature provides outdoor classroom space for clients. It can also serve as a gathering area for neighborhood events, which could potentially generate a small amount of revenue.
- 1,100 linear ft. Paths.
- Basketball court improvements. Some improvements to the existing court could greatly improve the capacity for sports for the older daycare children. Such improvements would include expansion to a full-size basketball courts and addition of small soccer goals for soccer play similar to futsal.
- Bridge across Jordan River. This element received mixed reviews during the public feedback session.
Time Frame
| | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
| NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE | | | | | |
| Educational garden | | | | | |
| Community garden | | | | | |
| Therapeutic garden | | | | | |
| Garden playground | | | | | |
| Sport improvements | | | | | |
| Amphitheater | | | | | |
| Memorial space | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| CITY | | | | | |
| Utah playground area | | | | | |
| Natural areas | | | | | |
| Bridge | | | | | |
5 comments:
The bridge is a cool idea but will need to be carefully considered along with improvements to the other side that would honor resident privacy needs.
I like the additional paths near the adult center. The other paths should have more character instead of being so straight and rigid. The simplicity of the plan is appealing.
Have a cost estimate?
The footbridge is a waste of money. Do we really need to cross the river there. There are crossings on 4th and 5th south less than 100 yards in either direction from this proposed bridge to nowhere. Spend the money on more landscaping.
This plan really works on bringing together all of the variety of input received. Thus, it may serve a great number of people!
Thanks for considering the basketball courts--taking steps to encourage healthy exercise is important.
Consider the costs of upkeep and repair when looking at a water feature. Also, this can be a surface that attracts vandalism. Why not let our wonderful natural resource, the Jordan River, be the water feature?
The same sentiment goes for the arch and mountains. While these can be cool play structures, some natural features may work instead and help to develop an appreciation for the natural resource that is right in front of us--the river.
The idea of using the amphitheater as a possible source of revenue is great! This could be rented out in a similar fashion to how city parks rents out their shelters.
I believe a bridge should be avoided. Bridges provide shelter for homeless populations, so we may see an increase in usage that way if the bridge is installed. Also, bridges disrupt the river corridor and can have a negative impact on the health of the river. Since crossings are located nearby, this may not be a need.
Thank you for thinking to incorporate pieces that can assist in outdoor science lessons. This is useful and creates important connections.
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