September 12, 2023

Idaho waterfront city Sandpoint picks ‘Blue Necklace' master plan from team led by GGLO, Bernardo Wills

Aerial image courtesy of GGLO, labels added by DJC staff [enlarge]

The winning master plan covers 200 acres and three main areas: the downtown core, Sand Creek Corridor and City Beach. A trail of blue camas flowers visually and physically links these areas.

In February, the city of Sandpoint, a lakefront city in northern Idaho, launched a design competition with the goal of selecting a multidisciplinary design team to fine tune existing concepts for the redevelopment of the city's beach and downtown waterfront and to coalesce existing master planning efforts into an updated and holistic vision.

After months of deliberation and discussion, which included significant community feedback and input, the city recently selected the design team of architects GGLO and Bernardo Wills, engineer Welch Comer, sustainability expert Greg Moller, ecologist Erin Blue, and artist Sarah Thompson Moore for the opportunity. The team was selected from an initial pool of eight entries.

GGLO has an office in Boise, Idaho, but is headquartered in downtown Seattle. Bernardo Wills is based in Spokane.

The city of Sandpoint is sited on Lake Pend Oreille and is known for its natural wonders — which include mountain scenery, fresh waters and sandy beaches — as well as its thriving arts culture and historic downtown waterfront.

GGLO and Bernardo Wills' winning 200-acre master plan reimagines the downtown waterfront around a uniting concept called “The Blue Necklace.” The Blue Necklace refers to a flowing trail of sky-blue camas flowers and native meadow grasses that physically connect and thread together the downtown waterfront's many “jewels,” from the city's historic Granary district in the west to the tip of the sandy point at City Beach. The trail guides users on a journey through Sandpoint through the thoughtful inclusion of considered artworks and interpretive displays along the multi-use path that reflect the history and culture of the city.

Renderings courtesy of GGLO [enlarge]

The plan includes a new bridge across Sand Creek, with separate crossings for vehicles and pedestrians.

The sprawling master plan is concentrated on three specific areas of the downtown waterfront: the downtown core, Sand Creek Corridor and City Beach.

Proposed redevelopment in the downtown area includes the renovation of a central park (Farmin Park); significant streetscape enhancements to create more usable space for markets and community events; a new public parking deck; intersection improvements; and a new entry gateway to downtown.

The Sand Creek Corridor, which borders Sand Creek on both sides, would be revitalized with the addition of an expanded boardwalk system, active creek-facing business fronts, restored riparian habitat, and a new iconic bridge.

Newly constructed islands and wetlands along the banks of Sand Creek would add beauty and ecological diversity to existing mud-flat zones while also improving water quality through stormwater filtration. A new crossing at Bridge Street would reconstruct the current bridge connecting First Avenue to City Beach and continue the tradition of landmark bridges in the city.

According to GGLO, the new bridge is “designed to make a triumphant gesture skyward, separating vehicular and pedestrian traffic with a graceful rise in the roadway that allows pedestrian paths to cross underneath.”

Pedestrian safety improvements and an artistic light installation at the Bridge Street underpass would also be added to enhance the approach to City Beach.

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City Beach would be transformed with rewilded areas and new features including a swim dock and events stage.

Proposed enhancements at City Beach include rewilding the landscape while simultaneously adding new programs and year-round attractions. A new community forest would wrap around the town side of the park while its lakefront edge would be planted with native meadow grasses that deter geese while allowing for expansive lake and mountain views. The park would maintain its current recreational offerings and a new nature playscape, swim dock, events stage, great lawn, and ice ribbon would be added. The Blue Necklace's camas path would culminate at the rewilded point of City Beach.

Describing the master plan, GGLO said the team's approach was to amplify and enhance the city's existing qualities, to reinforce what Sandpoint already is rather than forcing an alternate vision of what it should be. “We think of this plan as the polishing of a gem, so Sandpoint shines even clearer,” the architect explained.

In a statement sent to the DJC, GGLO said the team collaborated for several months on the design concepts and led community outreach with local stakeholders to gather public comments. GGLO added that the city's selection was based on the “team's interpretation of community needs, responsiveness to design goals, demonstration of the team's capabilities to complete and execute the selected design, and public comments.”

The project team will now advance to stage three of the design competition and will work with the city to refine its concepts in anticipation of the formal adoption of a new master plan in October.

“After many months of design and collaboration, we can't wait to make these concepts a reality for Sandpoint's wonderful, vibrant community,” GGLO told the DJC.