Silver Spring Civic Building... Plan A
The Silver Spring Town Center Inc. Board of Directors strongly supports the timely construction of a new Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza. We view this important public project as our community’s principal amenity of the downtown Silver Spring development, and we have worked diligently with the community, and private and public stakeholders to move this project forward. We believe that the Civic Building, along with a Pavilion and multi-purpose skating rink element, will be the exciting and dynamic centerpiece of our Silver Spring community.
We therefore view with deep concern reports that the Montgomery County Planning Board staff has recommended that the Silver Spring Civic Building and Veterans Plaza should not include a Pavilion and multi-purpose skating rink. We believe that the Pavilion and the skating rink are integral parts of the Veterans Plaza design concept that has resulted from an open process of community dialogue, participation and decision that has spanned more than 10 years. We do not believe that this long effort of community involvement and pro-active community process should be ignored.
Our non-profit organization, itself one of the results of this extended process of community engagement and dialogue, was formed to assist Montgomery County officials and Silver Spring residents provide community-based programming of the new Civic Building and Veterans Plaza. We believe that, because of its innovative design and choice of materials, the proposed Pavilion and convertible skating rink will provide substantially more—and a broader array of year-round—opportunities for community programs and events than other alternatives. With the planned trees and landscaping, the space will remain a versatile venue for Silver Spring’s residents and visitors to meet and socialize throughout the year.
We all share the goal of a wonderful, dynamic city center for Silver Spring and want the proposed project to be timely completed. The Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. is committed to helping Silver Spring residents develop exciting community-based programs for the benefit of all our neighbors.
— Alan S. Bowser, Theresa Cameron, Sheryl Brissett Chapman, Bryant Foulger, Graciela Jaschek, Mark Kozaki, Jon Lourie, Aurelia Martin, Helen Freeman Riggs, Laura Steinberg, Mary Ann Zimmerman