Sedona Main Street Program proudly
nominates the phenomenal Cowboy
Plaza
for AZ Main Street 2007 Best Public Private Partnership. The evolution
of this narrow old sidewalk in Uptown into a vibrant pedestrian plaza
filled with art, culture and people is the culmination of a shared
vision and cooperative effort.
As the City initiated its plans for a
major streetscape renovation in Uptown Sedona in order to make our
sidewalks ADA compliant, they approached property owners who owned
portions of the public sidewalk for easements to accommodate the
required width sidewalks. Tom Gilomen, owner of Cowboy Club restaurant,
gave the City an easement along his property frontage with no strings
attached. The plans in front of Cowboy Club incorporated a very wide
section of sidewalk to envelope an unusual intersection and proposed
crosswalk. Also, Sedona Main Street Program had created Hands through
History: Sedona Western Films commemoratives to honor the actors from
western movies filmed in Sedona and had negotiated a partnership with
the City for their installation into the new sidewalks. Four of those
commemorative were designated for this specific area, because the
honored actors appeared in a scene from “The Rounders” movie, which was
filmed in what is now Cowboy Club.
As details unfolded, the City was
facing a very large open section of sidewalk with no buffer from the
roadway and minimal landscaping due to budget constraints. The only
planned points of interest, the Hands through History commemoratives,
were scheduled for installation into the sidewalk itself and would not
soften the extensive hardscape. Tom Gilomen wanted to retain aesthetic
interest and visual appeal in front of his property by creating a
community gathering space and he initiated an offer to enhance the City
right-of-way - just when it was sorely needed. He offered to design,
fund and install enhancements for public benefit in the Public
Right-of-Way including: a barrier wall with extensive landscaping along
the roadway that would enhance safety by funneling foot traffic to the
Jordan Road crosswalk and physically preclude random crossings of Hwy.
89A; monument pedestals to create visual interest and elevate the Hands
through History Plaques for hands-on interaction; seating rounds with
shade umbrellas for public use & comfort; and large scale sculptures to
celebrate our community’s cowboy and pioneer history. A Right-of Way
Lease Agreement was negotiated, allowing Mr. Gilomen to develop
Cowboy
Plaza. While the City invested in sidewalk and drainage improvements and
streetlights, Tom invested approximately $150,000 in infrastructure
elements, $200,000 in public art and has committed to maintain this
community public plaza at his expense for many years to come.
Tom Gilomen proceeded to generate and
facilitate many partnerships and cooperative efforts as this project was
conceived and implemented and some examples follow. He added landscaping
beyond his property to integrate the plaza with the intersection to the
north, improving the streetscape in front of two additional property
owners. The built-in seating design for the Plaza inspired a partnership
of three craftsmen and a metal element that is being integrated in
benches all along Hwy. 89A. The development of the monument installation
for Hands through History commemoratives established a precedent for
prominent display in other areas designated for placement and has
created subsequent partnerships with those area property owners. And Tom
donated a fabulous party to celebrate the inaugural Hands through
History commemorative installation which spurred on a partnership of
volunteers and sponsors for the Sedona Main Street Program’s Hands
through History Committee; business sponsors brought the movie actors
back again to see their commemoratives unveiled in the Cowboy Plaza and
the community gathered in the Cowboy Plaza for that historical event. To
top it off, Sedona’s own photographer and western film set production
creator donated his photograph of The Rounders film actors on his
Bradshaw Ranch film set to Tom, and it now hangs inside the Cowboy Club
restaurant!
A myriad of partnerships and
cooperatives were brought to play in Cowboy
Plaza,
with outstanding results. We believe
Cowboy
Plaza
is an exemplary Public Private Partnership worthy of the 2007 AZ Main
Street Award.
