The focal point for this mixed used development is a curving street space that follows the curve of a new pond at a prominent intersection.

 

The commercial buildings are placed along the street to define a public community space. The two story facades are designed to have the scale of a traditional main street to create a pleasant walking and shopping experience. The ground floor retail areas provide activity on the street level while the second story is utilized as office space. The pedestrian street is envisioned to become a place where the community can come together for farmers’ markets and art fairs.

 

The location of the pond allows more of the buildings to have visual prominence along two of Fitchburg’s major streets making the buildings more desirable to retail and commercial tenants. The mixing of uses allows for a higher density and shared use of the parking, the offices use the parking during the weekday and the restaurant and retail make use of the parking during evenings and weekends. The mixing of uses also provides amenities for the people in the offices allowing them to walk to get lunch, or to the bank, or to a doctor’s appointment, thus reducing the reliance on automobiles. The project was built in phases, the first phase, the Oak Bank Building, was designed by Potter Lawson as well.