If I Redesigned Centennial Mall

By: Mr. Wilson on November 7, 2007
4 comments
Centennial Mall bugs me. It is ugly as sin, and it is so woefully wasted as a potential community gathering point. It represents some of the best real estate in the city and the best we can do is offer cracked, inaccessible pathways and broken down fountains. Harrumph. I would love to be on a committee tasked with redesigning Centennial Mall. There are four main segments. (Let's ignore the question of whether we should "de-street" the segment between M and P Streets.) Within those four segments I would create a tour of Nebraska. Some of the features I would mix and match include:
  1. A stream of water stretching north to south through all of the segments, representing the Platte River. Where it dips underground (i.e. at street crossings) it would represent our underground water resources.
  2. In one segment, several small, shallow pools, representing the state's small lakes, ponds, and reservoirs.
  3. Real or simulated wagon wheel ruts, representing the pioneers.
  4. Native grasses and flowers.
  5. Sandstone formations for climbing and sitting.
  6. A traditional band stand, representing the city parks in towns across the state.
  7. A play area for kids, preferably near the Children's Museum.
  8. Some flat areas, some rolling "hills".
  9. Several small sculptures, or better yet, one single sculpture that ties together the four segments.
It sounds a little disorganized, I know. That's how my brain works when it's dumping ideas. It probably looks better in my head than it does in list format. I should draw it out sometime. What would your ideal Centennial Mall look like?

Comments

See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.

Mr. T
November 7, 2007 at 4:49PM

Oh I beg to differ! I would just make it one, big, level greenspace. I’d get rid of the leveled stone steps so there is no need for a separate wheelchair accessible way. Then I’d put benches and maybe one or two statues on the sides, but would not want to clutter it with waterways or fountains. Plus I’d make the whole place wireless. The bandstand idea is interesting, and would be something worth considering however.

The objective would be to create someplace where people can come and lounge around the grass, or play frisbee, football. The mall in DC would serve as a good model. The problem is that all the East-West streets criss-cross the Centennial Mall and is if you changed that and got rid of them I have a feeling it might screw the traffic flowindowntown.

Mr. Wilson
November 7, 2007 at 5:07PM

The level greenspace idea is also on my list of favorites. The one thing that, to me, takes away from the idea is that Centennial mall isn’t level, neither block-to-block nor across its length. To me, those sorts of greenspaces are most powerful when they are entirely level, or at least consistently angled. Centennial Mall is neither.

Beyond that, the interruption between M and P Streets further degrades the continuity of the greenspace-only plan. Without continuity, linear greenspace isn’t nearly as powerful.

But for a cheap and easy option that could be started tomorrow and finished within a couple months, all for relative pennies, your suggestion can’t be beat. That may make it the best plan we’ve got.

foxspit
November 7, 2007 at 7:11PM

Mayor Don Wesley all but suspended maintenance on the mall as a power move to try to force the state to take over responsibility for the mall. As a result we now have the dilapidated mall with sporadic water features.

I would like to see the City raise private funds for the mall’s renovation, much like they did to renovate Sunken Gardens. Maybe some corporate naming opportunities exist.

Fletch
November 8, 2007 at 2:27AM

I like the ideas, Mr. W, except for the “native grasses” - when I see those at the library, it sure just looks like weeds, and I think a nicely manicured lawn there would be good. I think more benches would be cool, and encourage the street musicians to hang around there from time to time. A place with little food/drink carts would be cool. Imagine a genuine hot dog cart or pretzel cart like you’d see in a big city, or a little coffee cart, and some places to hang out.

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