Balfour Beatty Construction recently celebrated the completion of the Space Between, a new community gathering space and temporary park designed to bring activity and vitality to a vacant lot in downtown Phoenix. A pro bono project built in collaboration with Downtown Phoenix Inc. and design partner Logan Simpson Design, the new Space Between park brings shade, grass, tables, benches and other sustainable landscaping features to a parcel of land spanning First and Second streets, nestled between the Valley Youth Theatre and Taylor Place.
On Aug. 21, 100 community members, project partners, and dignitaries commemorated the project at a dedication ceremony held at the project site. City Councilman Michael Nowakowski and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton spoke at the event. “It’s pretty cool; it looks great.” Staton said. “It takes a space that was kind of a negative thing in the community and turned it into a positive thing where community members can feel comfortable hanging out and spending a little time. That’s exactly what the whole ideas was: create places of community.”
Stephen Hulston, vice president and business unit leader for Balfour Beatty Construction’s Phoenix office also commented about the collaborative effort, “We are thrilled to be a partner in this exciting effort that brings life and beauty to this tucked-away, unused space in downtown Phoenix. It’s our business to build and when we heard about this opportunity to also make a difference in our community, we jumped at the chance to utilize our expertise to transform the space. Thanks to our like-minded partners, we were able to deliver a small slice of heaven in the heart of the city.”
Balfour Beatty Construction managed the construction of the project, and led the effort to acquire labor, equipment and materials from trade partners Southwest Earthwork and Suntec Concrete. The combined value of all donations is estimated at over $75,000.
The city-owned lot is slated for future development – hence the “temporary” aspect – so Logan Simpson Design wanted to incorporate ideas of sustainability, mobility and utility into the design concept. In addition, the park features materials that can be later moved to different spaces, salvaged trees, recycled materials, desert-friendly plants and passive rainwater harvesting.
“Our company has a long tradition of helping the communities where we build,” Hulston added. “We are especially committed to activities that bring us together, including charitable actions that improve the quality of life in our communities. The Space Between project helps us carry on this tradition.”
