Release Date: Saturday, April 19th 2008

Post-Gazette: Public to have say in ideas for Market Square

Or perhaps a simple update is in order, with more outdoor dining and larger trees with higher branches to open up the square.

Those are the latest ideas for transforming the city''s oldest public square, one undergoing a resurgence with a crackdown on illicit activity and new restaurants moving in.

The concepts were developed by Dina Klavon Design Associates Inc., a local landscape architectural firm hired by city planners to bring more life, both literally and figuratively, to Market Square.

They incorporate recommendations made in the Project for Public Spaces study done in 2006, feedback from Market Square merchants and the public, and steps taken by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, such as adding tables and outdoor heaters, to enliven the real estate.

The public will get a chance to comment on the proposals at a meeting at 5 p.m. May 5 at the Harris Theater on Liberty Avenue. The plans are available for viewing at www.DowntownPittsburgh.com.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and the Downtown Partnership hope to select a design and seek bids by the end of the summer. Construction could start in the fall or early next year. Cost estimates for each plan range from $3.2 million to $5 million.

"I think they''re pretty powerful ideas," said Mike Edwards, president and chief executive officer of the Downtown Partnership. "What we''ve noticed is that some of the buzz in Market Square these days is in anticipation of some of these changes."

All three plans would block traffic on Forbes from cutting directly through the square. Vehicles would be forced around the square and then back onto Forbes. All three proposals are based on buses being removed from the square altogether, which is expected to happen on May 15.

In addition, under all three concepts, parking would be eliminated along the inside lanes within the square and the sidewalks extended to add more dining space.

The first plan, described as "Minimal" would trim back the marble risers that tend to separate the square into four quadrants, while the two others would eliminate them altogether, creating vast tracts of open space.

In one plan, dubbed "Oasis," Market Street would be closed to traffic through the square and both it and Forbes Avenue would be raised a few inches to create a more level space. In the third plan, called "Historic," the other streets within the square also would be raised, allowing for one grand space.

"This creates the piazza that many people have been asking for and talking about," Mr. Edwards said.

The Historic plan also would use pavers and lighting to trace the original exact footprint of the former Market House that once occupied the space and also would identify old vendor stalls. LED up-light technology would be used to highlight the historic elements and help to illuminate the square at night.