Rosa Parks Square should be an area for reflection and respect, not commercialism

Some Bibb County commissioners and area residents said they do not want Rosa Parks Square to become an area of commercialism but instead one of reflection and respect.

An event held Thursday at the Macon-Bibb County Government Center was an opportunity to gather feedback for the redesign of Rosa Parks Square at First and Poplar streets.

“This is a chance for our designers to hear from commissioners how they envision the future of Rosa Parks Square and how to attract people to it on a regular basis,” Alex Morrison, executive director of the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority, said in a release.

The authority and representatives with Atlanta-based HGOR Planners and Landscape Architects were seeking the public’s input on potential changes to the park.

An artist’s rendering from the Macon Action Plan — a blueprint for downtown development — depicts a small cafe within the park limits, which caused several residents to emphasize a need to keep Rosa Parks Square a place of community and not one of commercialism.

HGOR representatives made it clear no plans had been drawn up and that Thursday’s meeting was a chance for residents to give their visions for the park.

“We’re going to take the suggestions that we got from the commissioners and the residents tonight, put that in the context of the Macon Action Plan and other comments we’ve received and then the designers are going to come up with different alternatives,” Morrison said.

County commissioners met recently to discuss the renovations they would like to see. They had emphasized a need for the square to remain historically sensitive while also creating a better connector for Macon’s downtown. The area also could use better signage, Morrison said.

Another public forum is likely before any final plans are made, Morrison said.

This is not the first attempt to improve or alter Rosa Parks Square. In 2013, Macon-Bibb Mayor Robert Reichert unveiled plans for the small wall and plaques that are in the park. In 2012, a small dispute occurred over a possible name change to Macon Civic Plaza after State Bank & Trust provided a donation for improvements to the park. The name change was ultimately blocked by the Macon City Council.

This story was originally published July 28, 2016 at 8:21 PM with the headline "Rosa Parks Square should be an area for reflection and respect, not commercialism."