As for park land downtown in general, I had suggested a while back that the city consider selling Liberty Plaza (a corner lot) and put the park on top of the new structure. Now that the structure has been built (at added expense) to support a large building on top, that option is no longer viable. Maybe moving the transit center–including Greyhound–there is still a possibility, though, which would free up the current site for a more direct cut-through park to/from both the underground structure and the 4th and William one than the old Y lot could.

By the way, the doorstop Fed building would be something for local Dems to call their buddy John Dingell about, wouldn’t you think? And again, and again, ….

Until Liberty Plaza is a cut-through space like Sculpture Plaza, it won’t function as some people would prefer. (It functions quite well for those people who use it, and there are quite a few–apparently just not the “right” people), as well as for some (smaller) events. The best option for such (given that the suggestions above aren’t likely to fly anymore now than they did before) is the Palio lot, which could have a diagonal (NW to SE) sidewalk with seating on both sides and plantings along William. If William were put on a lane diet with on-street(!) parking added (yet another past suggestion), the traffic noise would be reduced and the intersection at Main could be more pedestrian friendly (i.e., narrower by way of bump outs).

Isn’t there one currently under construction at First and Washington, funded by the DDA?