It was built to be a public gathering place, where events yet to come bring people together, in the heart of the city.

And when friends say, “Meet you at the plaza for lunch,” it is the place they’ll mean.

In a sun-splashed, speech filled, ribbon-slicing ceremony, city leaders recently dedicated Plaza Park, 50-by-130 feet of red and gray brick, stone benches and planter boxes, directly across West Main Street from Auburn City Hall, on the site of the former Marvel Grocery.

It is Auburn’s first downtown park.

“It’s intended to be open space that’s flexible, that we can use for city events,” said Elizabeth Chamberlain, Planning Manager for the City of Auburn and the project’s shepherd. “There are removable planters, and it will have cafe-style seating some day and be connected to the City Hall Plaza and to the Promenade.”

“It will benefit everyone over the coming generations,” added Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis.

Plaza Park is one part of what a $3 million grant from the federal Economic Development Agency, leveraged by $7 million in state matching funds, is buying the city. That money also has paid for the recently completed City Hall Plaza and will pay for the soon-to-launch Promenade project along South Division Street.

Makers Architecture and Urban Design completed the design work, Perteet, Inc. handled the civil engineering, and Nacano and Associates was responsible for the landscape architecture.

Lewis recalled the seedy reputation and 5 o’clock shadow that not so long ago burdened that part of the downtown west of Auburn Avenue.

“It was so bad,” Lewis said of what spilled out of the former tavern row, “that we had to have people in hazmat suits cleaning up hyperdermic needles stuck in the walls of the bars. Things were so bad it took years get some of the worst out to make way for the best.”

Looking around at the new park, the mayor cited present and City Councils past, leaders in the Auburn Area Chamber, The Downtown Auburn Association and involved residents for putting together and working on the 2001 Downtown Plan, which included a remaking of the City Hall Plaza and other improvements.

Auburn City Councilwoman Lynn Norman explained why city leaders felt having a downtown park was important.

“Something that I’m sure you’ve all heard before is that you spend a portion of your life working, a portion of your life sleeping and eating, and where do you want to spend that third chunk of time?” Norman said. “What we heard loud and clear from people is that they wanted gathering places, they wanted park space, they wanted meeting space, they wanted event space, and we’re very excited that we’re providing that in the downtown core.”