News Article

Piazza Bergamo’s new look to create destination

Piazza Bergamo’s new design aims to take an underutilized piece of downtown real estate and turn it into a gathering space.

At the intersection of Coffee and Main Streets, Piazza Bergamo serves as a connector for the future Project One and Laurens Street in downtown Greenville.

“The first word I want people to think is ‘comfortable,’ and also a little dynamic,” Civitas Principal Todd Mead said. “It’s not a large space, but it’s a comfortable size. It’s something for Greenville that’s really special.”

A quiet water feature will run from Main to Laurens streets to unify it as one place, Mead said. The newly revealed design shows an open space filled with moveable tables and chairs scattered throughout and an overhanging design element that will create some shade for the area.

Essentially large concrete flower beds encircle greenery and provide extra seating in the piazza. An assortment of greenery and trees, including green columns of vegetation, will litter the piazza.

Several types of lighting will be incorporated, including column lighting and integrated lighting under benches. A sort of movie or projector screen could become part of the plans for the community to gather and watch major events. The option for a portable stage for concerts to be held in the area is still on the table.

Construction is set to begin in August and completion is expected in December, in conjunction with the expected Project One completion.

The city of Greenville and Civitas, the Denver-based urban design, planning and architecture firm, officially unveiled the design at a public meeting Wednesday at the Hughes Main Library in Greenville. Greenville’s Design Review Board posted the designs on the city’s website several weeks prior to the meeting.

A full room had many questions about the designs for the Civitas representatives. Mead said every effort is being made to use local materials, considering budget restraints.

Residents were invited to join the conversation during the preliminary design processes. City officials and Civitas representatives held a public meeting in September to brainstorm designs and elements for the space, as well as to get an understanding of what locals hoped the space could become for the city.

Many participants agreed the space should be a gathering place to have lunch, meet with friends, read a book or work on laptops, using the wireless already offered downtown.

The space is surrounded by differently angled buildings — the Bank of America, the West Washington Street Garage, the future Project One, and the retail building with Verizon Wireless, the Gathering Spot and Sassafras Southern Bistro — and it backs up to Laurens Street.

Project One, the mixed-use development that will house Anthropologie, CertusBank and Haynsworth, Sinkler, Boyd P.A. law firm, will add hundreds of people every day to downtown. It is set to partially open in the fourth quarter of 2012, with retail opening in early 2013.

The project also includes a big push for Laurens Street to become an energetic, exciting place with restaurants and shopping.

“We want this space to connect the people from downtown to Laurens Street,” Greenville Mayor Knox White said, citing that sustainable building needs to be reflected in this space as well.

Greenville City Council set aside $4 million to redesign the plaza during a meeting in May.

Civitas initially considered parks from all over the country as inspiration. Bryant Park in New York City, Quincy Market in Boston, Mint Plaza in San Francisco and the City Garden in St. Louis all lent design elements to consider for the Greenville space.