Home Our Place and People Recent Projects News Archive Community Involvement Contact Us
Services Municipal Private Development Streets & Highways Mapping Survey Construction Inspection

 

Main Place Reconstruction, City of Zeeland – This project involved the design and reconstruction of downtown Zeeland. Downtown was renovated in 1980 with continuous canopies on all buildings, heavily vegetated planters and 14 parking spaces. Through several meetings with City Council, the Shopping Area Revitalization Board (SARB), and numerous public hearings and public information meetings, it was determined that the canopies should be removed, more parking should be made available, and the downtown should be updated by using Zeeland's rich history and cultural heritage as its focus.

As a result, the project was designed with brick paver accents in the sidewalk, decorative lighting, planting areas, planter poles with hanging baskets and bollards, traffic calming components, and more on-street parking. Another unique feature of this project are the engraved pavers inset in the concrete sidewalk. The engraved pavers depicting all the provinces of the Netherlands including the name and coat of arms, along with a plaque showing a map of the Netherlands. Zeeland celebrates it's rich Dutch heritage as a part of this project.

A pocket park with a refurnished clock sculpture and a monument showing a map of the Netherlands was also added to create a unique gathering place for the citizens. During the public input phase of the project, it was determined to expand the "downtown" feeling to more than just the traditional downtown block and the project was expanded to include a total of three blocks. The project was designed to allow some of the major design elements be extended into other areas of the City to expand the "hometown" feeling of the City of Zeeland.



A view of the Zeeland Post Office in the background at the corner of Main Ave. and Church St. showing the landscaping areas with lighted bollards.


Main Ave. looking west at the Central Business District getting ready for the Christmas parade
 

North side of the Central Plaza Area decorated for Christmas.
 

Night view of Main Ave. decorated for Pumpkinfest, showing the decorative lighting and lighted bollards, looking east from the Main and Elm intersection.

BEFORE – Photo taken prior to the Main Ave. reconstruction project in September 2002, looking east from the Main and Elm intersection at the future Heritage Square Park. Note the obstructed visibility of the store fronts.
 

AFTER – Heritage Square Park decorated for Pumpkinfest celebration.



 


Granite monument commemorating Zeeland's Dutch heritage, located in Heritage Square Park showing a map of the Netherlands. Also shown are all providences of the Netherlands along with their coat of arms. The names of the providences and coat of arms are engraved on 12" x 12" bricks and inlaid into the sidewalk throughout the downtown area.
 

Sample of the 12" x 12" engraved bricks depicting the providences and coat of arms.

 

 

 


 

Looking west from Church St. at the north side of Main Ave. showing the decorative street lights and the elaborate banner system used by the City.