From Deseret News archives:
Water Walk, Town Square to honor St. George's past
"This project celebrates the history of St. George," said city spokesman Marc Mortensen. "The city is investing a significant amount in the downtown heart of the city and the response has been very positive."
Design plans for the St. George Town Square and Historic Water Walk on Main Street, a nine-acre, $4.2 million project, were unveiled in early October. Funding for the major reconstruction effort is coming from redevelopment agency funds, said Mortensen.
"This whole thing has been a huge partnership between the city, school district and county," he said. "It's really a model for the rest of the state on how different government interests can work together for a common goal."
Major construction won't start until the spring of 2007, although crews should begin work on a nature park on the north end of Main Street at Brooks Pond this winter.
Washington County plans to demolish the existing library on Main Street to make room for the central-plaza portion of the project and rebuild the library on 100 South. The groundbreaking for the new library, which will be rebuilt using an historical facade, is today.
"The Historic Water Walk on Main and the town square will truly celebrate the area's proud pioneer heritage and act as a catalyst for revival in the downtown historic district," said St. George Mayor Dan McArthur, who can trace his own heritage back to the settlement of Utah's Dixie.
Designed by GSBS, an architectural and planning firm in Salt Lake City, the town-square project will feature festival and parade grounds, an amphitheater, splash pad, and a bell tower. Statues and plaques honoring the pioneers of St. George will eventually dot the town square.
"Our goal was to create a town center with shade and water where citizens and visitors could gather and where special events could be celebrated," said Bruce Jorgensen, landscape architect with GSBS.
The Water Walk will meander from the north end of the town square for about 6,000 feet along Main Street until it reaches the new nature park at Brooks Pond just below Skyline Drive.
"The inspiration for the flowing water west of the bell tower is the confluence of the Santa Clara and Virgin rivers," said Jorgensen.
Brooks Pond was an old watering hole for area children and a steady source of irrigation water used by those living downhill. In those days children would float leaves and race paper boats in the irrigation ditches that lined neighborhood streets.
