When Natalie Gomez, a social work junior, first started working in the U.S. Postal Service building at the Downtown campus, she had no idea she would eventually be able to get some quality lunch breaks in a new park built just a few feet away.
Gomez said she was excited about new civic space that is under construction at the Downtown campus and will be the future site of a new park.
"I work in an office, and I'm always taking breaks outside to get some air," Gomez said. "It would be nice to have somewhere outside to sit and eat, or to study."
Ronald McCoy, Downtown campus architect, said the new park is a joint project between ASU and Phoenix.
"The idea for the park emerged out of a master-planning effort with the city [of Phoenix] for the Downtown campus," McCoy said.
"The park has been conceived as a 'civic space' serving the community and the ASU campus," he added. "This should be exciting and relatively unique."
The dean of the College of Design at the Downtown campus, Wellington Reiter, said the park is being thought of as a "bridge" between ASU and Phoenix and "the space will belong to both realms."
"The idea of a civic space has been part of our planning of the Downtown campus from the get-go," Reiter said.
Reiter added the park is expected to be completely finished in 2008, but ASU students and the Phoenix community will be able to take advantage of the space before that, with temporary areas set aside for earlier use.
McCoy said the civic space would have new facilities for the Downtown student union.
"However, it will be different from a typical union," he said. "It will be programmed recognizing the fact that students will also patronize all the services provided by downtown merchants throughout the Copper Square area."
McCoy also said the design is strongly influenced by the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department.
Reiter said the civic space is being designed so ASU students are able to make use of it as many hours a day as possible.
"We have put forward some very clear ideas to the city regarding what we would like to be added to the park," he said.
A stage for performances, areas for practicing sports and water features are some of the ideas for the design of the park, Reiter added.
"Unlike other parks in Phoenix, we want this space to hold daily, active uses," he said.
"We want students to be able to hang out and read a book, or have some coffee, or kick a soccer ball around."
Reach the reporter at: amanda.soares@asu.edu.
