Marion’s Central Plaza Celebrates Grand Opening Following Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The project, designed by RDG, officially opens as the heart of Uptown Marion’s placemaking vision.
The City of Marion, Iowa officially celebrated the completion and grand opening of its new Central Plaza at City Square Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Designed by RDG Planning & Design and led in construction by Rinderknecht Associates, the project transforms a key block in the Uptown Marion District into a vibrant public space for year-round community use and engagement.
A vision realized through the community-driven ImagiNEXT process, the Central Plaza enhances the city’s placemaking efforts and supports Marion’s commitment to providing flexible spaces for both everyday recreation and special events. The plaza features an ice-skating loop, live performance space, interactive water features, public art, an engaging play sculpture and numerous site enhancements, including perennial landscaping, commemorative bricks and decorative lighting. Additionally, the newly enclosed Depot Pavilion provides public restrooms and reservable event space.
The Central Plaza serves as a continuation of the 7th Avenue and 11th Street improvements and serves as a key part of the greater Uptown Master Plan Update. Site design improvements primarily focus on the eastern quadrant of City Square Park to preserve greenspace within the core of Uptown. Visitors may notice continuing themes such as site lighting, custom art pavers and tiles and site materials that tie the Uptown streetscape and plaza together.
“The design of Marion's Central Plaza was guided by a strong community vision to create a central gathering space within Uptown Marion. Each detail invites connection, celebration and creativity. Our team is honored to have a role in this transformative space, and we’re excited to see how this space serves the community of Marion as it continues to grow,” said RDG Landscape Architect Sara Poetting, PLA, ASLA.
The $8.35 million project was made possible through a combination of public and private support, including a $3 million Destination Iowa grant and a $1.3 million private fundraising campaign led by the Marion Park Foundation. The remainder was supported through local option sales tax and general obligation bonds.
Construction began in March 2024 and substantial completion aligned with the ribbon cutting in May 2025. The public art sculpture is currently in production and is expected to be installed in July 2025, while the grand opening of the ice-skating loop is planned for early December 2025. As construction begins on the Broad and Main on 6th building adjacent to the plaza, portions of the southeast area will remain under construction for staging and access, with commemorative brick pavers to be installed following the building’s completion.
“With this project, we’re enhancing the cool factor of Marion and making Uptown a destination and living room for the region,” said Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly. “It’s one more way in which we are delivering on our promise to create opportunity and be the best place in Iowa to raise a family and grow a business.”
Since opening, the Central Plaza has already become a dynamic hub of activity. The space has hosted a range of public events, including community yoga sessions, seasonal markets, an art festival and live music performances. These early activations demonstrate the plaza’s potential to foster connection and offer year-round programming for residents and visitors alike.
RDG provided landscape architecture, architecture, experiential graphic design, lighting design and integrated artistry for the project in collaboration with Anderson-Bogert (civil engineering), Axiom Consultants (structural engineering and MEP), B32 Engineering Group (ice design), DB Acoustics (AV services), Water’s Edge (fountain design) and coordinated with local artists and the City of Marion to envision the plaza’s public art installations.