PROPOSED: Grant's Block

[provid]

The Piazza has a bocce ball court. I'll be glad if they keep it and should be playing on it soon if they do,

[jencoleslaw]

The Piazza has a bocce ball court. I'll be glad if they keep it and should be playing on it soon if they do,

i hear they are keeping it and there will be balls kept at Tazza.

[Recchia]

i cannot believe i was out here almost the entire day, working, and not ONE of you who work downtown came by to say hello.

Sorry Jen, if I was still workin downtown like last summer I no doubt woulda seen you on my daily lunch walk!

[Cotuit]

i cannot believe i was out here almost the entire day, working, and not ONE of you who work downtown came by to say hello.

I work on the East Side.

[pete11]

i hear they are keeping it and there will be balls kept at Tazza.

Umm, just how permanent is this "piazza"?

[provid]

From what I was told until they start the building

[pete11]

From what I was told until they start the building

The whole thing? This might take a little more thought (and zoning probably), as that would be a draw for vagrancy, especially when the bars let out. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't some variances be needed to have something like that accesible by the public? Not to mention liability issues.

[provid]

Whole thing? just the small section across from Tazza. The rest will be parking. I dont think a section of grass and a spot to play bocce ball is much of a liability.

[pete11]

Whole thing? just the small section across from Tazza. The rest will be parking. I dont think a section of grass and a spot to play bocce ball is much of a liability.

No I mean, the benches and free standing trees and such. liability only because its not public land and access is allowed. I was unaware that a decision to use the rest of the space as parking had been reached.

[jencoleslaw]

they will need to do a temporary landscaping plan and fencing i think at some point, but i don't know where that is in the system.

[Cotuit]

I'm really liking the way Grant's Block looks right now. I'm nominating Cornish to do the Plaza I proposed for behind the 151 Weybosset Building.

[provid]

Just played my first game on the new bocce ball court and a must say it was alot of fun. I am happy to report my team had a amazing come back to take the game.

I am really going to miss the court when its gone. What a fun thing to do downcity on a summer evening.

[AriPVD]

Cotuit, you just missed me, Buff and Andres out there working on the new building.

[pdxstreetcar]

anyone know who the sculptor is of this sculpture?

[Cotuit]

Cotuit, you just missed me, Buff and Andres out there working on the new building.

The new Grant's Block building?

I'm serious about the Plaza too. If there's anyplace Downcity where a plaza can be created, or redeveloped, I nominate whoever put this together to design it.

[AriPVD]

Russ Preston in my office designed the plaza.

[Liamlunchtray]

Russ Preston in my office designed the plaza.

Is that tent the food service tent for underdog? I noticed that it has been missing from the Armory.

[AriPVD]

I should have news on this soon. We are close.

[MikeR]

I should have news on this soon. We are close.

Good to hear...

[kinematix]

Can anyone go play bocce? I've got a set of bocce balls and would love to use them there.

[AriPVD]

Yessir. There's also a set inside tazza.

[kinematix]

The bocce court is great! (As is the rest of that little park)

I've been down there the past few nights and the only thing missing is another court right next to the existing one! My friends and I played on the gravel for an hour or so until the real court freed up but it would be sweet to have a second... Hint Hint

It would also be great to see a few more of these in our city's parks too - I can't imagine they are very expensive to make and they don't take up too much space. I heard there are a couple near or on federal hill.. is this true and if so, where are they?

[jencoleslaw]

The bocce court is great! (As is the rest of that little park)

I've been down there the past few nights and the only thing missing is another court right next to the existing one! My friends and I played on the gravel for an hour or so until the real court freed up but it would be sweet to have a second... Hint Hint

It would also be great to see a few more of these in our city's parks too - I can't imagine they are very expensive to make and they don't take up too much space. I heard there are a couple near or on federal hill.. is this true and if so, where are they?

the ones on federal hill are behind Atwell, on Spruce Street and i think there is at least one at the Italo American Club on Broadway. I do not know how public any of them are on Federal Hill.

[Cotuit]

My friends and I played on the gravel for an hour or so until the real court freed up but it would be sweet to have a second... Hint Hint

It would also be great to see a few more of these in our city's parks too - I can't imagine they are very expensive to make and they don't take up too much space.

Well, I'd prefer no bocce courts on Grant's Block, I'd rather see a building, hint. But I hear what your saying. It's be nice if there were some sort of permanent tenant (cafe, restaurant, diner...) in the skating center that could hold the bocce balls for a court near there.

the ones on federal hill are behind Atwell, on Spruce Street and i think there is at least one at the Italo American Club on Broadway. I do not know how public any of them are on Federal Hill.

The one on Spruce at Dean I'm almost positive is very much a public court. It has a lovely view of the Dean Street interchange.

[Garris]

Ari, regarding progress, would you be able to tell us if you know if the street rearrangement/traffic flow issues that the city needed to address for the parking garage are still on target to be done some point soon? I thought some were going to happen this year...

- Garris