A More Beautiful Gateway

New improvements to Lafayette’s properties in the North Third St. area at the base of College Hill are advancing the College’s vision of a revitalized downtown gateway.

The former Ponulak property, between the Williams Visual Arts Building and the former Case’s Tire property on North Third, has been transformed into a partially covered open-air arts plaza overlooking the Bushkill Creek. The plaza provides a distinctive venue for art installations and for viewing the creek as it flows through the gateway area.

Across North Third from the arts plaza, the former Club Mohican now has a glassed-in front, and repairs have been made to the exterior masonry and terra cotta. Along Snyder St. east of North Third, a landscaped parking lot with decorative fencing complements a similar lot at the northwest corner of Snyder and North Third that was completed in June 2009.

The College acquired the Hubcap Store site along Snyder west of North Third and plans to demolish the building. For the immediate future, the College plans to leave this site as a grassy, park-like area that will reclaim the vista to the creek.