Designing the PARK

PARK HOTEL

1881 | Built for Alex and Benton Renfrew, brothers & farmers in the Canal Lewisville area
1883 | Opened by first owner, James H. Stocking
1884 | Sold to William T. Zeller
1907 | Sold to Thomas Rittenhouse, then later that year to William H. Bachert
1909 | Hotel and building sold to Coshocton Real Estate Co.

1975 | Sold to Jerold Zwelling

2014 | Sand lot sold to Pomerene Center for the Arts

WE’RE READY to design a permanent park referencing the history of the space as the long time site of the Park Hotel. We’re thinking of a succession of outdoor rooms with the capacity to display temporary public works of art. We hope to maximize the natural conditions of the space and create “rooms” that are comfortable and compellingly habitable. The patterns of daylight and airflow are significant considerations. The east side of the lot is in shade until late morning, the opposite side comes under the shadow of the western wall by mid-afternoon.   The two bounding walls funnel a breeze which is pleasant in the hot summer but disruptive on cool days.

We want it to be a “looker” of a place but more than that, we are designing to encourage people to spend time in the space and in downtown Coshocton. We think this is a step toward transforming downtown Coshocton into a lively, beautiful, and sustainable place.

Thanks in part to a National Endowment for the Arts OUR TOWN grant, the Pomerene Center has invited Designer Tim Frank to Coshocton for the weekend of March 21-23 to lead the following group of local people through a design process: Leah Bashover-Nichols, BS  in Mechanical Engineering; Byron Brenneman CHS ’12, Sophomore at Otterbein University: Anne Cornell, Pomerene Center Community Studio Artist; Jon Cotterman, Industrial Tech Teacher at Coshocton High School;  Geni K. Devens, BA graphic design, Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and new Old Towne Coshocton resident; Connie Miller, Head of the Landscape Dept. at Roscoe Village, Coshocton, Ohio; Peter Stevens, Pomerene Center COO; and Michael Stiers, Artist. 

At the end of the weekend  Tim Frank will take our developed concepts back to his studio to render a set of design drawings.  Have opinions about what would bring you into the PARK space?  JOIN THE CONVERSATION.  

1. Come to the Pomerene’s opening party of the exhibit RETURNING TO FIRST PRINCIPLES, Friday March 21, 5:30-7pm.  Take in Tim’s drawings and models and talk with him & the design team about your ideas.
2. Post an image or images of parks that attract you on your Facebook timeline and use the hashtag #coshparkhotel.  You’re image will become part of the collection the design team considers over the weekend. We’re hoping for a robust visual community conversation over the next week.  As always, the first folks to join in are the people who get the ball rolling. Hoping you’ll take the time to help get the ball rolling and share what you like.  It doesn’t have to be an image you shot, you can just link us to something on the web. 
3. Come see the finished concept drawings. Date TBA.

Tim Frank is an architect, designer, educator, and researcher. He currently occupies an assistant professor position within the College of Architecture, Art, and Design at Mississippi State, and he maintains a nationally recognized interdisciplinary design studio based in Atlanta. bio