Brooks Street Greenspace
Transforming Urban Space Through Engineering
The Brooks Street Greenspace Project in downtown Sheridan, Wyoming, successfully transformed what was once a dangerous, closed street into a community asset that serves both residents and visitors alike.
For Sheridan County, the project delivered multiple functional benefits: expanded downtown parking capacity, improved maintenance access to the courthouse’s second floor, and enhanced pedestrian connectivity throughout the area. The heated sidewalk system ensures year-round usability despite Wyoming’s challenging winters, while wheelchair-accessible pathways and handrails make the space inclusive for all community members.
Complex Terrain, Creative Solutions
Transforming a steep, hazardous stretch of street into a vibrant downtown greenspace came with no shortage of engineering and logistical hurdles.
The project team evaluated multiple alternatives through an extensive collaborative process involving residents and government agencies. Morrison-Maierle recommended transforming the closed street into a vibrant, accessible greenspace through a carefully phased approach that showcased engineering design, spatial utilization, and safety processes.
The solution divided the work into two interconnected projects: the Brooks Retaining Wall and Paving Project, followed by the Brooks Street Greenspace Project.
For the critical retaining wall component, three distinct systems were analyzed, with a soldier pile retaining wall emerging as the solution due to its significantly smaller construction footprint, which was crucial for the constrained downtown site surrounded by existing buildings and active utilities. This method also provided effective water management through weep holes and French drain systems.
Highlights and Services
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Site Civil
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Mechanical
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Structural
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Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
During design development, the team discovered an extensive fiber optic cable network beneath the site. Rather than relocating these cables at an estimated cost of $250,000, the design was strategically adjusted to preserve this infrastructure. These alternatives revealed the importance of balancing engineering requirements with spatial constraints and cost-effectiveness.
The greenspace implementation incorporated extensive community input, and the final design created a series of walking paths and landscaped areas featuring accessible routes with gentle slopes, stairways, seating areas with picnic tables and benches, performance space, and planting beds with climate-appropriate vegetation and smart irrigation systems.
Winter conditions were carefully considered throughout the design. A snow melt system with new boilers integrated within the courthouse’s limited footprint ensures year-round accessibility. Adequate lighting was incorporated to enhance safety and usability.
Engineering the Transformation
The result? A functional public venue that demonstrates how engineering expertise can revitalize underutilized urban spaces, and in this case, turn a liability into an asset. By combining practical infrastructure improvements with aesthetic appeal, the greenspace enhances downtown Sheridan’s vitality and livability. The successful coordination of multiple complex construction elements—retaining walls, utilities, heating systems, and landscaping—showcases Morrison-Maierle’s ability to deliver comprehensive solutions that create lasting community value.
Learn more about our development work.
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