Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/140775
Presto, PLAZA! T Houdini Plaza renovations expected to boost Appleton business he Houdini Plaza renovations may have brought orange barrels and loud machines, but the impact to downtown Appleton businesses and the community could be well worth the construction congestion. Statistics say that for every dollar invested in a public plaza, the economic return is $80, according to Karen Harkness, director of community and economic development for the City of Appleton. If this is true for Houdini Plaza, then Renovations on Houdini Plaza are near completion (artist rendering above, progress on plaza, left). City officials hope to enhance the area as a public gathering space. 42 | Insight • J u l y 2 013 the renovations will bring more money to businesses downtown. "The renovation will position this plaza for a higher level of use by the community, and it will be our community's front porch and gathering space," Harkness says. Before the renovations, Harkness says, the plaza held 55 annual events that brought 300,000 people to the downtown area. What the refurbished plaza will bring is yet to be seen. "I'm just very excited to see the revitalization and the recapturing of the magic for that plaza," Harkness says. "It spurs additional investment, it helps to retain and recruit businesses, it adds to the vibrancy and vitality in that area, it promotes people spending longer lengths of time in the plaza," she adds. By Felic ia Clark Jennifer Stephany, executive director of Appleton Downtown Inc. (ADI), agrees that the renovations will draw more people to the plaza. "As people begin to gather they're going to want to get lunch, they're going to want to stay longer; they're going to get a coffee; they're going to come out and stay," she says. The plaza is not just a space, but a place for people to gather, says Stephany. "A space renovation like this is all about place-making," she says. "And when you take the time to engage the community and engage the neighbors in the design, you end up with a great product like we will with Houdini Plaza." Stephany says that while the raised terrace will be used as a stage for events, tables and chairs will be stationed there during the day, making the space more flexible and allowing for a more conducive place for conversation. "The plaza was not designed – not renovated for ADI," Stephany says. "The plaza was renovated for the entire community, so keeping that in mind, we didn't design it for any one event specifically because it needs to be really flexible space." Michele Yahr, marketing manager of Skyline Technologies, thinks the w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m