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Santa Fe began to dream and debate the future of the Railyard property 23-plus years ago. It took seven years to design, fund and build the Railyard Park and Plaza. Finally, the Railyard provides common ground for cultural organizations, artists and businesses, and is a welcome green jewel in the heart of Santa Fe.
It was a long wait. Sometimes the wait is worth it. Santa Fe built a very different – hopefully more efficient, sustainable – Railyard Park and Plaza than it would have had we started building in 1995, when the Trust for Public Land helped the City purchase the property from BNSF Railroad.
We live in interesting times, when globally, people are turning to significant innovations in sustainability; not just in technology, but also in thought and perspective. When The Trust for Public Land (TPL) asked Santa Fe residents what they wanted in a central park, they emphasized three things. First, they wanted the cultural and educational organizations currently in the Railyard – El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe Clay, SITE Santa Fe, the Farmers Market, Warehouse 21, the galleries, etc. – to be able to afford to remain there. And they wanted compatible new development.
The Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation worked with the City to create leases that protect non-profit organizations from rising property values. The Trust for Public Land worked with the Farmers Market to design the Railyard Plaza and ramada to accommodate market stalls.
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Warehouse 21 and the Farmers Market built new, permanent homes that enhance their capacity. Alvord Elementary is converting to a magnet school focused on sustainability (See article, page 56).
Buying locally is a core part of living sustainably. All businesses; local, regional and national, can contribute to sustainability by offering local goods, paying living wages for good jobs with opportunities for advancement, and supporting local organizations. It’s up to us, the consumers, to reward good corporate citizenship, local or not, by spending thoughtfully. The Railyard businesses provide new opportunities to do that in Santa Fe.
Second among the public’s priorities for the Railyard was a large park, specifically a “passive” park, a green place for many different social activities and solitude, reading and recreation. TPL, its advisors and design team created spaces for reflection, play and performance. The 400-plus new trees and thousands of baby plants are already bringing shade and wildlife back to downtown.
Third, and a word we probably heard more than any other, was “water.” In a city guided by water restrictions that have set back the health of many parks, how do you create 12 acres of new plantings without a huge new draw on the water supply?
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