Fairhope, Alabama
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| Decommissioned substation. |
NEW YOUNG STREET PARK?
The new owner of a nearby building is proposing using city property at the corner of Young Street and Nichols Avenue as a city park and using the former electric substation structure there as a base for neighborhood art work.
Dr. Lynn Yonge, who purchased the adjacent former Mitchell Appliance building recently, said he was willing to contribute to the project to "make the corner beautiful" with landscaping and art work in an effort to revitalize the traditional African American neighborhood.
He suggested saving the vertical steel substation supports and installing art work on top, perhaps one proposed years ago by local artist Bruce Larsen commemorating Martin Luther King's 1965 Selma to Montgomery civil rights march may be appropriate (below), but proposals from other local artists should be considered as well.
Councilman Martin agreed such a project could "uplift" the neighborhood ... as long as it was constructed safely.
Mayor Sullivan said demolition would be stopped until more detailed proposals could be drawn up; Yonge added he would like to hear suggestions from the surrounding community about what they would want there as well.
Some of the property could be reserved for infrastructure too, like broadband.
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| Proposed Larsen design. |
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