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Your Feedback Needed: Magnolia MicroPark Survey

Jan 12, 2018

Two years ago, a handful of folks came together to design and build the Magnolia MicroPark at the corner of Henderson St. and Magnolia Ave. We (Near Southside, Inc.) were fortunate that we were given permission to use private land, were able to raise around $5,000 to build the park, and had a lot of kind people donate supplies, time, and talent to the effort. 
Since then, many have taken the time to enjoy the Magnolia MicroPark in their own unique way. Without a formal budget or owner, the park has been maintained by the community for the community. The park was designed as a temporary space and, like Legos, the park elements were intended to be a "kit of parts" that could be easily moved and reassembled for use at a future MicroPark site. We had intended the park to only be in place for one year, but it became so popular that we decided to leave it in place until the site was needed for other development plans. With the Magnolia hotel construction soon to start, we are excited to announce that the MicroPark will have a new home on S. Main Street.
Please stay tuned for details about the Main MicroPark location, design and community build day. In the meantime, we welcome your thoughts about the MicroPark via this brief survey:
 
The MicroPark was a beta project with three goals:
1.) SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL PUBLIC SPACES. The city standard for public/neighborhood parks prior to the MicroPark to only build new parks of 1+ acres. We hoped that the MicroPark would demonstrate the viability and importance of a small, active, and uniquely programmed public space. Since then, the city has amended their policy to now include smaller parks. Hooray!
2.) INFLUENCE THE FUTURE OF THE SITE by demonstrating to private developers the value of including public spaces in their projects. The MicroPark was designed to be temporary and influential. We built the park on the site of a development project in the preliminary design phase to demonstrate to the property owner, architect, and design team the opportunities for including a small public space in their overall development plan. I'm pleased to tell you that this worked! The hotel and condos that are being built at the current Magnolia MicroPark site were impressed with the popularity of the park and are now planning to include a permanent small public plaza/park in their project.
3.) OFFER THE COMMUNITY A PLACE TO PLAY ON MAGNOLIA! We all know that Magnolia has fantastic places to eat, drink, and shop, however we felt like the street was lacking a common place to play, rest, or enjoy your ice cream cone.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this park a success!