The change is striking.
Where once there was a towering road salt container and a PennDOT maintenance yard, there’s now new grass, thriving trees and designs for a civic plaza, where pillars with Henry Mercer tiles will later stand. Next door, the Depression-era building that was home to the transportation agency’s offices and garages for decades, displays a handsome example of what a repurposed structure can look like when thoughtfully designed to hold government services and police headquarters.
Doylestown’s $10.3 million new borough hall and Central Bucks Regional Police Department on North Broad Street and the neighboring public park are creating a new gateway into the community.
While the 3-acre park is “a little bit behind” schedule, said John Davis, Doylestown’s manager, it is 85% complete. “We’re targeting a ribbon cutting in the early spring,” he said, adding that no decision has been made as to when the much-anticipated green space will be open to the public.
The park’s five main entrances feature cast stone pillars, mimicking those at Fonthill Castle in Doylestown Township, that will be decorated with “Doylestown-themed” Mercer tiles. Similar pillars will mark the park’s civic plaza, which will also have flagpoles and a small fountain. The borough recently launched a campaign for sponsorships for various park amenities.
In phase two of the $1.3 million project, Davis said, a playground and picnic area are planned, as is a small amphitheater.
At this point, the manager said, there’s “a potential for performing arts” in the park. The events, Davis noted, would not be regularly scheduled shows and there would be no permanent staging area.
The park has not yet been named. Davis said the public may be asked to respond to a survey in the coming weeks to select one.
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