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Heritage Square, Flagstaff
From a demolished building to a dirt parking lot to an urban plaza, this space has undergone many transformations. It now functions as a central square for community gatherings and special events. Since its construction in 1998, Heritage Square has been home to many community events, including a political rally of 5,000 people for presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004. Throughout the year, the square hosts other events such as Christmas and regular summer festivals.
Design Approach & Features
Our urban plaza designs not only serve as functional gathering spaces, but they also pay homage to the local history and culture. Heritage Square, conceived as a place where the citizens could gather, is a good example. It gives “heart” to a town that grew up along the railroad and anchors Flagstaff to its downtown center.
Through research, we identified unique elements that characterize Flagstaff — elements like a boulder fountain that copies a historic structure near the train station — and incorporated them into our design. Other elements include stone bollards made of “malpais,” Moenkopi sandstone, and obsidian, replicas of property markers found on nearby Bonito Street. The base of the flagpole replicates a fireplace in the Colton House that shows the geological layers of the Grand Canyon. A mosaic of a railroad track runs through the center of the square, and a wavy timeline that runs through the square is punctuated with brass plaques noting facts about Flagstaff.
All plantings are native. The entire project features materials that are commonly used in the area, including brick, stone, and iron.
Project Scope
Schaafsma Design and The WLB Group, Inc., worked with the developer, the City of Flagstaff, and community groups to produce a plan that was equitable for the entire town and northern Arizona. The site contains a two-story retail structure, a large open plaza with an amphitheater, drinking fountains, planters and artist-created iron benches. 
Underground parking below the plaza replaces the spaces lost to the new plaza. Schaafsma Design built a stone drinking fountain using a large native boulder, installed irrigation lines and waterproofed the brick planters.
