MAPS beautification plan unveils Bessie Coleman Garden and Reno/Eastern corridor designs

The council received a preliminary report on the first MAPS Phase 2 beautification package on March 10, covering several downtown and airport‑area projects intended to improve public spaces and honor local aviation history.

Kayla Copeland, principal landscape architect at Copeland Design Collective, presented renderings for the Bessie Coleman Garden near Amelia Earhart Lane and Terminal Drive: plans call for a plaza with interpretive signage, a true‑scale reference to parts of Coleman’s Jenny biplane (including an elevated top wing feature and a footprint allowing visitors to stand in the pilot’s seat), native plantings, shade structures and public binoculars. Copeland said site selection and final placement are pending FAA coordination on a fence relocation.

Phase 2 work also includes redesigning airport approach landscaping off Meridian, a Reno and Eastern median project with a serpentine sculptural element up to 12 feet tall, native low‑water plantings and column up‑lighting, and panels on the First American Boulevard bridge with LED under‑lighting and maintenance access considered in the design. Presenters emphasized low‑maintenance native plantings and a 10% contingency in current construction estimates.

Council members asked about coordination with aviation groups and relatives of Bessie Coleman; presenters said they had contacted a grand‑niece and worked with planning and airport staff and that they would continue outreach. Councilmembers praised the use of MAPS funds for visible placemaking and asked staff to return with timeline details for the low‑water‑dam aesthetic feature noted in discussion.

The presentation concluded without a request for immediate action; staff said they will finalize designs, confirm FAA approvals and proceed to construction documents as budget and approvals allow.