Fountain Square, home to Cincinnati’s iconic Tyler Davidson Fountain since 1871, marks both the physical and symbolic heart of the city. For Megen, the challenges of managing the complete overhaul of the outdoor public plaza from the top of its famous fountain’s head to the bottom of the four-level underground parking garage were many. However, the rewards of playing a leading role in the landmark’s $42 Million transformation, and the rebirth of Downtown, were even greater.  

Managing the 112,000 SF overhaul of the City’s heart, the project included complete demolition of the existing plaza, stage and skywalks; structural repairs to the parking garage that would extend its life another 50 years; re-grading the fountain plaza to improve pedestrian accessibility; relocation of the “Lady of Genius” fountain to a more central location; installation of new granite pavers and curbs; and addition of a new restaurant, retail spaces, ice skating rink and portable stages. 

Fountain Square is literally the heart of Cincinnati’s Downtown, bordered on all sides by heavily traveled streets, hotels and businesses. It is also adjacent to the Metro bus system’s Government Square transit hub, used by 15,000 people every day. We developed strong relationships with owners and tenants, meeting regularly and facilitating communication between all parties. We planned all major demolitions of the old stage and block-long skywalk during the limited hours, as to not disrupt lunch business of square restaurants and hotel guests or violate the city noise ordinance.