GAI’s Community Solutions Group (CSG) provided master planning and rehabilitation services for the redevelopment of the main pedestrian corridor in Downtown Charleston, West Virginia. Brawley Walkway connects the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center to the Charleston Town Center Mall, the downtown transit mall, and Capitol Street – Charleston’s most distinct and historic streetscape. Additionally, the walkway is bisected by the John Slack Green, another project master planned by GAI’s CSG.

While planning the John Slack Green Master Plan, GAI’s CSG team was retained by the City of Charleston to reimagine the existing pedestrian corridor of Brawley Walkway. After several design workshops with the City and various stakeholder groups, the project team came up with a plan that accomplished several goals. First, the existing walkway was rerouted to remove unnecessary jogs along the path that created unsafe locations. Second, the route was widened to better accommodate large groups of pedestrians who may be traveling to and from events at the Convention Center into Downtown. Third, the route was refreshed with modern materials and vegetation that enhanced the contemporary portions of the walkway to the west while also paying homage to the historical district to the east of the walkway at Capitol Street. Once planning was complete, GAI’s CSG provided construction administration services for the plan’s implementation.

The Slack Plaza and Brawley Walkway Master Plan was awarded an Honor Award by the West Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects in 2015. Additionally, the completed project was featured in the April 2018 edition of Landscape Architect and Specifier News, where the various innovative lighting techniques used in the walkway were highlighted.

Recipient of the following awards:

• WVASLA Honor Award – 2015