Allentown, PA / In Progress
Center Square
The historic center of Pennsylvania’s fastest-growing region
Center Square is the historic center of downtown Allentown, marked by an obelisk monument that celebrates the Goddess of Liberty at its apex. Omnes is working with the City of Allentown, the Department of Transportation, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and local stakeholders to develop a contemporary vision for this historic public space. Center Square is the true civic commons of Allentown – the site of protests, celebrations, festivals, parades, and quotidian life in the city. It is also at the convergence of Seventh and Hamilton Streets, Allentown’s civic promenade and retail corridor.
The design will embody the goals of the recent Vision 2030 Plan, as well as the 2016 Art & Nature Landscape Development Framework Plan. This civic plaza celebrates the centrality of the Soldiers and Sailor’s monument, while prioritizing the natural flow of traffic and pedestrian safety around it. Improvements will include enhanced paving as well as new street trees and green spaces in complement to Omnes’ designs for Hamilton Street.
Historic images from the collection of the Lehigh County Historical Society.
