The document proposes a plan to revitalize Melrose Commons with several elements: 1. A central square surrounded by commercial spaces and serving as a community gathering place. 2. Converting ground floor residential spaces to small commercial stores to activate pedestrian streets. 3. A monumental square facing the courthouse to provide an open community space for events. 4. Strengthening the commercial and pedestrian experience along 161st Street to better connect the area. 5. Future development of abandoned rail tracks, including an underground concourse or linear park.

1. Melrose Commons Plan
Greg Behl and Sean Rowden

2. 1. Central Square
Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco
Plaza del Toro, Teruel

3. Permanent programmatic elements on
upper level, open space below steps
Active Ground-level commercial space
saturates buildings facing the square
Central urban node of the area at the
confluence of several pathways
1. Central Square

4. Plaka, Athens
Fordham Plaza, Bronx
2. Pedestrian Commercial Streets

5. 2. Pedestrian Commercial Streets
Replace ground-level residential space with
small, active, high-volume commercial spaces
Commercial uses for back side of Courthouse,
placing market stalls/outdoor seating along
street edge to lessen severity of the façade

6. 3. Monumental Square
Campidoglio, Rome
Groningen, Netherlands
Florence, Italy

7. 3. Monumental Square
Front façade of Courthouse has a monumental
aesthetic that it lends to the square it faces
Square should be sparse and spacious, no
permanent program, but a periodic greenmarket

8. 4. Linear Integrity of 161st st
Commerial activity on both sides of 161st to
extend vitality down from Concourse area
Add crosswalks and renovate paving to south of O’Neill Triangle to strengthen
visual perception of a linear continuation of street to Courthouse
Narrow current roadway between
Melrose Commons and Park area

9. 4. Linear Integrity of 161st st

10. 5. Former Rail Tracks
Develop the abandoned rail tracks at a later stage of
development, after the area has attracted residents and
businesses and has demonstrated an appropriate level of activity
5a- An underground concourse with commercial shops
underground and connected to sub-level of Boricua building
5b- A residential/recreational linear park-like area

11. 5a. Mall/Concourse
Beursplein, Rotterdam
Proposal, Shanghai
Ville Souterraine, Montréal
Glass roof provides an interesting feature with enticements to
interact to the street above, and lets in natural light below.

12. 5b. Greenway/Courtyard
Split, Croatia
Village in Italy
Linear Courtyard area; Greenway with landscaping, street
furniture and multiple staircases to ground level

13. 6. Park

14. (These might make
good perspectives)