S. B. Friedman & Company is working as part of the Aurora River Edge Park Collaborative to develop a master plan for a proposed riverfront park north of downtown Aurora, IL. The firm has provided guidance regarding the long-term financial sustainability of the project, including assistance with the selection of revenue-generating uses, such as ice skating, concession sales and a farmer’s market. The firm has also advised the city on the potential economic impact of the park, and has worked together with other collaborative members and Aurora stakeholders to maximize the impact of the proposed park on the surrounding community.

In 2007, the project won two awards - the 2007 Design Award from the Association of Licensed Architects and the 2007 Honor Award from the Illinois Chapter of the Association of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

From the ASLA awards program:

      Envisioning a new urban-ecological model for river edge 
      parks, the master plan for Aurora's Park 49 transforms 
      an existing site of unrealized potential into a place
      world-recognized for its use of contemporary innovative
      design, local history, facilitation of community needs,
      performance spaces and ecological life along the Fox River.

Read the full awards program description here.