NewUrbanStreets

Prairie Street was home of the original Cotswold “Test Blocks” and has many amenities. In this post we will look at the “icons”.

The icons are pre-cast concrete structures on each block between Travis St. and Crawford St at Minute Maid Baseball Park. The two Test Blocks–the block either side of Main St.–have one at each end of each block. The other blocks have one each at each intersection. The planter pot on top is watered by the same irrigation system that waters the nearby new trees and planter beds.

The one shown here is at Prairie and Travis. Note the water flowing from a bronze leaf into a grated collection basin. The water feature is part of the adjacent wall fountain and is a unique feature to this icon. The Police Department’s horses like it. There is an up-light at the base and after finding it broken we realized the horses had not watched where they were stepping. A heavy grate is there today, the light shines through and the horses are happy–we hope.

One of the lessons learned with the icons was that you must find the right plants and make sure the irrigation is kept in operation. The thin pot high above the street will be a collection of dead plants quickly in the summer heat of Houston.

The icons are distinctive and add a distinctive element to the streetscape that sets Prairie St. apart from the others.