LK Architecture was part of the design team awarded the project to design improvements to historic Front Street in downtown Dodge City which serves as the “front door” to downtown from Wyatt Earp Blvd. The community desired a western aesthetic to enhance the city’s storied place in history while updating the district’s utilities, services and materials to modern levels. The final design for the project balanced these requirements while addressing several challenges of an area that had not been improved in over 40 years.
The concept for the project arose around the activity “coming into town” from the prairie which was an event in people’s lives during the 1800’s. Along Wyatt Earp a winding path through restored prairie adds a connects the historic train depot to Front Street and then moves users to Boot Hill Museum. This pathway converges on 2nd Avenue at Longhorn Plaza where a campfire, chuckwagon and El Captain sculpture create a special backdrop for museum actors to sing cowboy songs to visitors. Through the new ranch gateways, pedestrians flow onto 2nd Avenue which can be closed to traffic for markets and events creating an extended plaza environment.
City of Dodge City
Dodge City, Kansas