Balfour Beatty Completes Downtown Phoenix’s First ‘Space Between’ Project

 

PHOENIX, Ariz. — 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, Arizona. 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.

<!—more—>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.” Stanton 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.”

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.