Plaza deconstructed- Heavy equipment is being used to prepare Kanawha Plaza in Downtown for a $7.78 million facelift. Improvements are to include new landscaping and lighting, fountain improvements and other changes to make it more appealing. The city has set aside $1.78 million to revitalize the park, including removing a pedestrian bridge across Canal Street. The city is counting on promised donations from nearby corporations and businesses that are expected to funnel $6 million through the city’s charity arm, the Enrichmond Foundation. The foundation is then to provide materials, construction and other services to rebuild the park as a gift to the city. So far, only a fraction of the private money has been pledged or collected, according to city officials. The park has fallen on hard times. Once best known as the home of a summer concert series, the park next to the Downtown Expressway attracted few visitors and had become a defacto shelter for the homeless. Location: Byrd, Canal, 7th and 9th streets.
