Kiwanis Park Placemaking project, the first project to emanate from Stamford Downtown’s newly created Public Realm Enhancement Plan, featured a re-imagined Kiwanis Park, with built and landscaped seating area, murals, and an Instagram-worthy street scene. Although the murals were not created by Contractor, it’s worth mentioning that the street art informed the selection of plant material, paint color, the integrated look and feel of this project, and the broader scope of ways that landscape contributed to Stamford Downtown’s renewal. The Contractor partnered with the Downtown Stamford Special Services District to renovate the aging corridor, redesign and refresh the plant palette, and construct an on-site structure with bench seating. The Contractor, who has had a 15+ year relationship with the District as its streetscape improvement partner, took on the Kiwanis Park renewal as a special project – in addition to it’s portfolio of 1.2 square miles of the District’s beautification projects. This required intense choreography of labor, and synchronized delivery of a renewed streetscape, park plantings and floral displays, in time for city leaders to host a ribbon-cutting, public street party and media event on June 14th.

The original Kiwanis Park – a green corridor inaugurated in 1968 by FLOTUS LadyBird Johnson -- was the first urban renewal project of the city of Stamford, Connecticut. This is what it looked like before the renewal project.

The Kiwanis Park renewa; project turned a walking street into a gathering street, with the design and construction of stylish seating areas for the City’s special event. The contractor built the installation using premium grade Brazilian Tiger Wood, repurposed planter material, and painting the structure a high definition red. The color was part of the placemaking project strategy to make the street more colorful overall, a goal that factored into the selection of plant material.

The on-site structure included the repurposing of legacy planters, painted to adhere to design plan.

The finished installation for Kiwanis Park – and the additional beautification project combined - included 75 species of ornamental grasses, 30 unique perennials, and 7 trees, including 5 single stem Amelanchier's and 2 American Hornbeams. The two murals (executed by local muralist) encourage walkability and interaction, and serve as event and ‘pop-up’ space for photos, events, promotions, and social media. The signage honors Sandy Goldstein, the founder of the Downtown Stamford Special Services District, and was revealed on July 14th.

Located in the heart of Stamford, the half-acre Latham Park features garden art and outdoor sculpture exhibits, including the well-known “Mommy’s Shoes”, and is a hub for farmers markets, food and drink festivals and recreation. To align with the overall goal of the District’s renewal project, the Contractor, who maintains the gardens and beds, redesigned and replanted the beds and refreshed its containers using a plant palette that included ornamental grasses, zinnias, banana trees, coleus, petunias and Angelonia, to be ready for the City’s Kiwanis Park special event on June 14th.

Over 250 hanging baskets adorn street lamps throughout the business improvement district, reinforcing a green and growing aesthetic perpetuated by city leaders as part of the community’s brand. Hanging basket plant material included variegated vinca, petunias, and dragon wing begonias. Contractor designed, installed and currently maintains all baskets and street scape planting in line with the master plan and green renewal mandates.

Stamford is big on flower power and the Kiwanis Park project was an opportunity for the Contractor to transform the scope of Stamford’s downtown thoroughfare with green public paths, blooming baskets, and planted beds. Overall, the Contractor installed 7,300 annuals, 120 centerpiece topicals, including the showstopping Musa (banana tree). The result is a colorful, nature-rich business district and workplace for employees, and amenity space for shoppers and the general public that integrates into an urban setting with an engaging sense of well-being. The Contractor designed and installed, and currently maintains, over 250 hanging baskets, 49 street planters and 11 landscape beds and parklets across the 1.2 sq. mile District. All phases and diverse elements of the scope of the Contractor’s improvement work were executed and logistically synchronized to align with the June 14th special event and launch of the new and improved Kiwanis Park.

The District’s master plan included zoning accommodations to add living color to its public spaces, while making the most of its budget. The overall project was sequenced and phased so that by the June 14th ribbon cutting, the community would experience high-quality double and single hanging basket displays, dynamic containers, and plants and trees in full bloom, and curb appeal and value to local merchants. The Contractor utilizes a UTV (JD Gator) to move around the sidewalks and streets with a water tank and water the material almost 7 days per week during peak heat months.

The hanging basket looks simple but it is the result of complex logistics behind the scenes. Early starts to each day to avoid heavy traffic, patrol at night to ensure security of a public project, and sequenced care to adjust to varying climate locations within the District – some with more sun and heat, other with more shade – which on the maintenance side including pruning, watering, daily detail, pest and disease control, and a full range of detailing and crew choreography to meet and deliver a sense of perfection – not only in time for the special event, but throughout the growing season.

A series of containers flank the historic old town hall, and feature a color coordinating hot palette of canna, zinnias, coleus, begonias, and Angelonia.

Focal point containers contained a selection of plants curated to thrive in an urban heat island condition. Containers included cannas, banana plants, petunia, zinnias, and sweet potato vine.

49 containers were planted throughout the business district. Designed and installed by the Contractor to synchronize with the June 14th, Kiwanis Park summer kick-off event, the containers and other landscape elements, are currently maintained by the Contractor.

The Kiwanis Park placemaking project, from the revitalized corridor and on-site structures to the wider plantings within the heart of downtown, was all about how landscape and the built environment serve the community and use green spaces for the public to gather and celebrate. The Kiwanis Park special event offered that, and more. With people and nature integrated into all phases of renewal, the revitalized Kiwanis park answered a very human need to connect, to meet, to dine, to work and be part of a highly sustainable context for the City of Stamford’s master plan.