The confluence of Lafayette, Erie and Anthony Wayne Trail was selected as the first site of the Toledo artNET initiative. It was selected due to it’s visibility as a major entry point to the city and it’s ability to serve as catalyst for the continued development of the Warehouse District.

In 2005 a design competition for this major gateway to downtown Toledo was held. The request for qualifications was announced and generated nearly 200 applications from locally, nationally and internationally based individuals and design teams. These submissions were judged by a panel of local and national jurors, who selected five finalists to develop proposals for this gateway. Due to the complexity of this site each of the selected finalists were selected on the basis of the ability to complete projects of similar or larger scope and budget.

The five finalists traveled to Toledo for a site tour and briefing with committee members, community leaders and City of Toledo administration. 

The five selected finalists were:

• CLEAR + Marpillero Pollak Architects [Julia Czerniak, Landscape Architecture; Sandro Marpillero & Linda Pollak, Architecture and Urban Design] in collaboration with Jackie Brookner, Ecological Artist; Nina-Marie Lister, Landscape Ecologist; Linnaea Tillet and Yeune Kyue Kim, Tillet Lighting Design; as well as Neil Cook, Bruce Davison, Michael Leaveck, Mike Ness, and Daniel Windsor.
• Hood Design
• LOT-EK with Inbar Barak
• Roger Sherman Architecture and Urban Design with Greg Kochanowski and Jennifer Steinkamp
• Ken Smith Landscape Architect with Brian Tolle Studio

Based upon this visit the finalists each created an in-depth proposal for the enhancement of this public art landscape. These proposals were exhibited at the Leslie Adams Gallery, in the heart of the Warehouse District in November and December of 2005. The public was encouraged to attend and written public comment (click to download in pdf format) was collected from over 100 individuals.

The proposals were as follows:
(click to download in pdf format)

• Navigating Toledo
• Drapescape
• Toledo Lightfield
• Trail Mix
• Glass City                                                      

In December 2005, the finalists returned to Toledo to present these proposals to jury composed of local representatives and national recognized design talent. 

• 1.0 Jury (click to download in pdf format)

After lengthy deliberation, analysis of the written comments and input from formal meetings by community stakeholders, the jury chose the winner as the ‘Glass City’ proposal by the team led by CLEAR + MARPILLERO POLLAK ARCHITECTS

• Glass City

Funding for this project is being sought from federal transportation sources. The project is currently scheduled to begin in 2007.

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