Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>> YOU KNOW THAT OLD SAYING ABOUT WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES,
ANOTHER ONE OPENS? WELL, CASE IN POINT.
THE CORNER OF GRANBY AND MAIN STREETS IN DOWNTOWN NORFOLK.
>> IT'S DESTINED TO BE A WESTIN HOTEL.
THEY LOST THEIR FINANCING, THE PIECE OF PROPERTY IS AN
IMPORTANT DOWNTOWN GATEWAY AND A GROUP OF ENERGETIC DOWNTOWNERS
THOUGHT THAT WE COULD FIND A MORE ATTRACTIVE USE FOR THE
SITE. >> THE PLAN WAS TO COME UP WITH
A PLACE WHERE FOLKS COULD SIT, RELAX, AND ENJOY THEMSELVES.
>> IT TOOK US ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO GO FROM THE IDEA, AND
OBVIOUSLY THE IDEA HAD TO BE APPROVED BY THE CITY, CITY
COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, BECAUSE THIS WAS THEIR PROPERTY, AND
ONCE WE HAD THAT APPROVAL, THEN WE PULLED TOGETHER A GROUP OF
VERY CREATIVE, ENERGETIC, ENTHUSIASTIC DESIGNERS AND
VOLUNTEERS, CAME UP WITH A PLAN. >> A PLAN THAT TURNED INTO A
PLOT. OR THE PLOT, TO BE EXACT.
EVERYTHING HERE WAS THOUGHT OF AND WORKED ON BY VOLUNTEERS.
>> AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY, SO WE HAD, HAD TO FIND WAYS TO
REUSE THINGS, AND WE HAVE BEAMS FROM THE OLD BOATHOUSE THAT ARE
NOW BENCHES. THE PUBLIC ART, AS WE CALL IT,
IS OUR CONTAINERS AND THOSE WERE DONATED BY MAERSK TO KIND OF
ANCHOR THE SITE. THE LIGHTS YOU SEE WERE DONATED
BY A LIGHTING COMPANY. IT JUST GOES ON AND ON.
VIRTUALLY EVERY PLANT HERE WAS PLANTED BY A VOLUNTEER AND THE
VAST MAJORITY OF THE PLANTS WERE DONATED.
SO THE STORIES OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE DONE, BOTH IN CONTRIBUTING
TIME BUT ALSO CONTRIBUTING ACTUAL THINGS IS REALLY SO
AMAZING. >> EVEN MORE AMAZE, THE
SIMPLICITY OF THE NAME. >> WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF
DIFFERENT OPTIONS, AND IT WAS A PARKING LOT.
PEOPLE KEPT WRITING, P-DOT-LOT, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN,
SOMEBODY SAID, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF CALLING IT THE PLOT CAME
ABOUT AND IT WORKS ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.
OBVIOUSLY THE GRID THAT WE HAVE, IT'S LIKE DIFFERENT PLOTS OF
LAND, BUT IT'S ALSO A PLACE FOR MANY STORIES.
BUT THE MANY STORIES THAT WE HOPE WILL SOMEDAY BE ON THIS
SITE FOR A NEW OFFICE BUILDING OR A NEW HOTEL, AND THEN IT'S
THE STORIES OF OUR VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW EACH
OTHER BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE ON THE PLOT.
>> ALL OF THIS VOLUNTEER WORK IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
>> THESE TWO REALLY BEYOND WHERE THE EXISTING FENCE IS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS BEING AN AREA THAT HAS A VARIETY OF
PARTICIPATORY GAMES. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COME FORWARD
WANTING TO DO A LIFE-SIZED CHECKER BOARD OR A LIFE-SIZED
CHESSBOARD. SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO DONATE A
BACCHI BALL COURT, HAVING A HALF COURT FOR BASKETBALL SO PEOPLE
CAN COME OUT ON THEIR LUNCH HOURS AND PLAY BASKETBALL.
>> NOT TOO SHABBY FOR A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.
>> PEOPLE COME TOGETHER THAT DIDN'T KNOW EACH OTHER, FORMED A
COMMUNITY FOCUSED ON ONE THING, AND THAT'S MAKING THIS A SPECIAL
PLACE. >> TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PLOT,
JUST LOG ON TO FACEBOOK.COM/THE PLOT DOWNTOWN.
FOR NORFOLK NEWS NOW, I'M JOHN LINKA.