Challenge
Envisioning a mixed use district at the core of the installation that serves the full spectrum of its users, from trainees to families, Fort Leonard Wood, in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asked WSP to prepare a Downtown Area Development Plan as part of its Real Property Master Plan Update. The goal was to transform a disjointed collection of parking lots and big-box structures into a family- and soldier-friendly downtown with a range of uses in a walkable urban setting. A challenge was creating a plan that could be phased in over time with flexibility to meet current and future missions.
Solution
The Area Development Plan for the Downtown focuses future development to the core of the district, with shared parking at the fringe, creating a compact, walkable campus. It establishes a clear, connected grid of streets, with shaded sidewalks, integrated stormwater management, on-street parking and accommodations for shuttle bus and bicycle routes. Merits of the plan include:
- Block length is cut by two-thirds, increasing connectivity throughout the district, and parking at the fringe of the site promotes a pedestrian-oriented core.
- Over 1 million square feet of space in narrow, multistory buildings provide a variety of uses in an energy efficient building form.
- The plan can be implemented in three phases that build out the urban grid.
