Downtown Broadway Avenue Streetscape

Brick screen walls, a unifying design element, are used throughout the streetscape to help visually separate the pedestrian walkways and vehicular parking. The screen walls include patterns that duplicate detailing found on historic buildings in the district. Columns located at the ends of the screen walls include ceramic tiles with postcard images of historic Council Bluffs that have been digitally glazed and fired. Streetlights duplicate the lighting that was found in old photographs of the district. Driving lanes were reduced in the area to expand the walking environment from 5 ft. to 16 ft. A landscaped island was installed in the middle of the street as a pedestrian refuge as well as a traffic calming device. Brick and color concrete pavements help to break the monotony of the concrete sidewalk, and native plantings enhance the pedestrian environment. A passageway between buildings was enhanced to connect the district with a city owned parking lot. The parking lot was redesigned to include permeable pavers that help improve stormwater quality and store a 10-year storm event.

Historic Council Bluffs postcard images are interpreted in digitally-glazed porcelain ceramic tile, inset to brick piers along four blocks of West Broadway.