The City of Union is fleshing out the design of its Town Center, the future location of a new city building and downtown Union.
The city is in the process of securing 22.5 acres of land on U.S. 42 and Brilliance Avenue next to the future Grammas Center retail and residential development. Commissioners previewed two early-stage designs during a Union city commission caucus meeting Monday night. The preliminary designs showed a mixture of retail and residential space, the site of the community center and city building, and a park as the focal point of the 22-acre development.
MKSK is an urban planning group the city hired to direct the Union Town Center vision. Representatives from MKSK Studios said they modeled their designs after the Village Green in Fairfield, Ohio, Summit Park in Blue Ash, Ohio, and Drexel Town Square in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
All of these arenas feature large public spaces for events and recreational use, like the amphitheater in Fairfield that’s used for outdoor concerts. The spaces also combine the outdoor attractions with walkable commercial spaces and a nearby government building.
The idea is to create a “main street” for Union, according to Andy Knight of MKSK Studios.
The first design featured a 2-acre park facing U.S. 42, and set back from the main road were two main veins of buildings with wide, grassy medians and walking trails surrounding the buildings and park.
The main difference in the second design was that the park doubled in size to 4 acres and was used as the focal point of the Town Center. Surrounding the park on three sides were the commercial buildings and the community center and city building, ensuring nearly every part of the center is viewable from U.S. 42.
Ideas of a playground, dog park, and other add-ons were voiced as commissioners imagined the future Town Center.
Commissioners said they wanted to create a “gathering place” for residents, and Knight said using the pond already at the site inspired designers to use the park as a focal point.
“The best part of Union is its green space. I think we should maximize that,” Commissioner Brian Garner said.
Commissioners chose the second design for MKSK to tweak and return with a more detailed vision, noting they worried about available parking for large events, like a concert in the park or hosting events as large as Union Celebrates America – the community’s Fourth of July celebration that is estimated to have 2,500 people in attendance this year.
Union has also been the subject of significant growth, according to U.S. Census data, which shows Union had around 5,400 residents in 2012 and now has more than 6,000 residents a decade later. As a result, commissioners looked at the design’s opportunities for expansion to fit the city’s growing population.
Commissioners reassured the audience that this was a concept, not a final draft. MKSK will present a more detailed design at a future Union meeting.
