In the heart of downtown Auburn, a gap in the streetscape told a familiar story. When the former Kalet’s department store was demolished in 2015, it left behind more than an empty lot at 1-7 State Street. It left a missing piece in the fabric of a community. Through the Auburn Sparks Brownfield Opportunity Area study, a market conditions analysis pointed toward a new purpose for the site: a public green and outdoor urban plaza designed to host arts, cultural, and performance events.
Shaped by the Community It Serves
The City of Auburn brought our team on board to lead the design process, grounded from the start in genuine community input. Through visual preference surveys, interactive brainstorming sessions, and collaborative mapping activities, residents helped define what this space should be and what it should feel like. That input shaped a series of concept plans reflecting both the aspirations and practical needs of the public. From there, the community had the final say, voting on their preferred concept and the amenities the design should include.
Looking Beneath the Surface
As the engagement process unfolded, a new priority emerged. Residents voiced concerns about the environmental conditions of the site, and the City listened. Our environmental specialists were brought in to conduct Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, evaluating potential contamination and identifying any remedial steps needed before construction could move forward. It was a natural extension of the multidisciplinary approach already in place, ensuring the project addressed not just what the community wanted to see above ground, but what needed to be resolved beneath it.