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Some construction has begun at the empty dirt parcel on the northwest corner of Fourth and Hill.

I haven’t heard too much about the construction that is occurring on the site, but a quick search on the city’s website has produced the following information:

“Current activities in Bunker Hill focus on the following major endeavors: a) supporting the work of the City/County Joint Powers Authority for the multi-phased development of four sites into housing, commercial, hotel and retail uses and the accompanying re-design of Grand Avenue to increase its vibrancy; b) completing a major transportation linkage by constructing Upper Second Street; c) improving the open space opportunities on Angels Knoll and in the plaza adjacent to the MTA portal …”

This seems to be one of those rare smart moves by city government to improve the pedestrian experience and to utilize some of the smaller open spaces we have in the best possible way. If this construction is, indeed, a small addition to the park space at Angels Knoll, I’d like to thank the city.

I’d like to believe this is an open-space project; if anyone has any added information (or information to the contrary), please let me know!

There are quite a few small parcels that would work for pocket parks in Downtown. One glaringly obvious project that’s occurring right now is the street realignment at North Main and North Alameda (also written up by Eric at blogdowntown). There’s a huge island in the middle of the intersection that could — and should — be used as a small pocket park. It would help break up the trek from Union Station to Chinatown and would be one of the few easy ways to help connect the rest of Downtown to the Cornfield park.