every tree just came down

And that muddy lot is our downtown Town Square.

Crews started leveling the park last month, and almost every tree is now down. If you walked by lately, you probably did a double take. Right now it honestly looks like one big muddy field.

The Kobuk, the little shop right next door, has had a front row seat to the whole thing. The owner says she's actually excited, especially about the open sight lines from Sixth Avenue all the way to Fifth.

The design trades the old mounds and shadows for lighted pathways, gardens, and a space built for live music and events. There's a spot for the kids too, so families have a reason to stick around downtown. For a park a lot of us have walked through a hundred times, it's a strange thing to watch it disappear.

Here's the catch. The park stays fenced off until the new lighting goes in, and that might not happen until spring.

The mayor says it's just one piece of a bigger downtown push, along with a library coming back and upgrades to the Performing Arts Center. The whole square should be finished by the fall of 2027.

And don't worry, the yearly tree lighting still happens this year. They're just picking out a new spot for it.