In April, I attended the Future Land Use forum held at the Melt Shoppe in downtown BG and was gratified
to see so many fellow citizens interested in and energized about the future of our wonderful town. Like
many others, I was excited to find the recommendations regarding the future of our downtown include the
addition of more gathering places and creation of a "downtown ‘Central Park’ for Bowling Green on
all or part of the property at the southwest corner of Wooster and Church."
Imagine what such a downtown, central park could do for Bowling Green! This public space could instill a
mutual sense of pride and ownership to our community and impart an important identity to Bowling Green.
What we need and desire in the downtown is a space that has the Power of 10 … 10 reasons to
visit our downtown repeatedly – to listen to music, to sit and socialize, to watch children play, or to
sample our delectable local food. It could offer a water feature to calm the senses, art to touch and
see, and opportunities to shop, as well as provide a venue for political events to unfold and
performances to enjoy. It would be a forum to gather for a multitude of cultural activities. Where in
Bowling Green do we find a site which has the potential for such an environmental and economic impact,
which could attract young families to stay and call Bowling Green their home?
In researching what similar rural communities have done to their downtowns in order to revitalize them, I
have discovered many thriving towns have a public square that highlights their community’s unique values
and offers citizens many choices of things to do. Such public squares also make a good impression on
visitors and entice them to return. And more importantly, a downtown central park has the potential to
provide a community with a sense of shared stewardship and mutual decision making.
I’ve lived in Bowling Green for more than forty years and one of the things I love the best about this
town is its sense of community. People here know how to work together to the benefit of everyone. In
that spirit, I very much look forward to working with others towards the creation of a downtown place to
mix and mingle – a "front porch" to our daily lives.
John Calderonello
Bowling Green