The Wooster Green campaign began in 2017 and raised over $400,000. Since the project’s completion, a large pavilion and benches have been installed for the community to enjoy.
The Wooster Green gathering space in Bowling Green has a storied past.
The 1.7 acre green space is located on the corner of West Wooster and South Church streets.
The creation of the Wooster Green began in 2010 when the city purchased the two abandoned school properties for $1 each. Two years later, the two buildings, including the former Bowling Green Junior High/High School, were demolished.
“With the backing of city council, as mayor, I ordered the demolition of the two school buildimgs as well ad the old Central High School building which had been used as the BG School Administration Building,” said Dick Edwards, who served as mayor from 2012-2019. “The clearance of the two totally deteriorated buildings and properties made possible not only the construction of the Wooster Green but also the sites for the construction of the senior center and the construction of the municipal building (on the former senior center site).”
Former Mayor John Quinn, who served from 1999-2011, formed a study group to assess possible uses of the school site which evolved into the Green Space Task Force. In 2017, the task force became the Wooster Green Steering Committee.
“I chaired the steering committee as mayor and continued to do so after I retired from office in 2019. The purpose of the steering committee was to raise the funds necessary for the construction of the Wooster Green, to oversee its development and to establish policies for its use,” Edwards said. “Interestingly, the original recommendation for the development of a common area for use and enjoyment of all citizens came from retired BG school teacher, Diane Vogtsberger, in the form of a letter to me dated Jan. 16, 2013. Diane then became a member of the steering committee.”
On Oct. 13, 2016, city council dedicated the historic school site as “open space to be accessible to all citizens” in keeping with the recommendations of the original study group which in turn was implemented by the steering committee. Since the start of the campaign, the site was effectively and strategically marketed as “A Gathering Place.”
That point was emphasized with the dedication of the gazebo on June 1, 2018, thanks to a generous donation from the late Dr. Thomas Kline and his wife, Dianne and dedicated in the name of their parents, Edwards said.
“Under the leadership of the fundraising Chair Sharon Hanna, a little over $400,000 was raised for the construction. The name of every donor to the campaign, large and small save several anonymous gifts, is listed on the plaques now in place on the Wooster Green,” he said.
The steering committee, with the help of the city and the benefit of various information sources, developed a layout for the Wooster Green and identified all the desired amenities: The gazebo, public art piece (sculpture), irrigations system, bike racks, landscaping, welcome plaque, trash cans, benches, light poles, and a drinking fountain.
“All three BG services clubs made substantial gifts to the Wooster Green campaign: Rotary (the brick entry gate), Kiwanis (the irrigation system) and Exchange (the drinking fountain),” Edwards said. “The $50,000 gift from the BG Rotary Club for the entry gate was hugely significant.”
To celebrate the milestone, a ribbon cutting ceremony was held in City Administration Building on Aug. 16.
“In my remarks at the ceremony, I noted that the Wooster Green is another example of combining history with a vision backed by generosity, determination and collaboration,” Edwards said.
Other speakers on Aug. 16 were steering committee members Diane Vogtsberger, Sharon Hanna, John Calderonello and Bob Callecod who discussed the uses of the Wooster Green to date and the potential for expanded uses in the future.
Three historic markers were placed at the Wooster Green on July 18, along with 13 others throughout the city.
“In short, the creation of the Wooster Green as a special entity of the city is a good story of community involvement, best hopes and wishes for a ‘town square’,” Edwards said.
