Because of decades of visitors, Toomer’s Corner started to display some issues that needed to be fixed.
Buildings and signs were covered, tree canopies were too low, stop bars were too far back and shrubs were overgrown. All of these factors contributed to a not aesthetically pleasing Toomer’s Corner.
To give Toomer’s Corner the makeover it needed, a design team made up of registered landscape architect Judd Langham and Daniel Ballard, watershed division manager of water resource management, decided to redevelop and improve three non-university corners of the intersection.
Small improvements were also made to edges of University-owned corners, as well as the gateway to campus, according to Langham.
Langham said a main goal of the project was to create an urban space that was pedestrian-friendly, and could easily be closed off to cars for special events in the downtown area.
“[We wanted] the intersection of College Street and Magnolia street [to be seen] as an iconic public space,” Langham said.
Some main improvements Langham and Ballard made were removing clutter such as trees, fencing, shrubs and parking meters, moving crosswalks and vehicular stop bars closer to the intersections and removing certain parking spaces to allow for larger sidewalks.
A few cosmetic changes made to the intersections include the introduction of seating with double-sided seating walls, LED lights for public safety and a more festive feel and the permanent tiger paw in the center of the intersection.
Langham and Ballard worked side by side with the help of stakeholders, Auburn University and the Urban Sustainability Accelerator team, to produce designs and drawings for the future of downtown Auburn.
Their designs were accepted and put into action by city staff, including the Public Works Department, Planning Department and Water Resource Management Department.
The project took three months to complete and was ready to be shown off in August.
“We were really able to create an atmosphere downtown for people coming to games and community events,” said Jeff Ramsey, Director of the Public Works Department.
Because of these efforts, Langham said the project was recognized by the state chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
“Overall, the organization promotes the landscape architecture profession and advances the practice through advocacy, education, communication and fellowship,” Langham said.
Out of 23 projects submitted this year, the Toomer’s Corner project was one of three that won a merit award in the General Design category.
Langham said he and Ballard accepted the award on behalf of the city at an awards ceremony at the Birmingham Museum of Art on Oct. 22.
Langham said the project was significant, because an average of over 30,000 people visit the intersection on a daily basis, causing style and atmosphere to remain crucial.
“I think people are recognizing that it turned out to be a very nice project,” Ramsey said.
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