Civic center

A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, the term "civic center" has been used in reference to an entire central business district of a community or a major shopping center in the middle of a community. In this type of civic center, special attention is paid to the way public structures are grouped and landscaped.

In some American cities, a multi-purpose arena is named "Civic Center", for example Columbus Civic Center. Such "Civic Centers" combine venues for sporting events, theaters, concerts and similar events.

In Australia, Civic Centre is used as a brand of Shopping Centre.

Notable civic centers

Center Park

Center Park, located at 2121 26th Avenue South, is a subsidized high-rise building complex located in the Mt. Baker neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, designed to provide living accommodation to physically or mentally challenged individuals and their caretakers. The apartments were built in the 1960s by Ida May Daly, a progressive woman with severe muscular dystrophy. She purchased an area of inexpensive land in the Rainier Valley neighborhood in south Seattle. Center Park is now managed and maintained by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Seattle Housing Authority.

Amenities

Center Park is a seven-story building, composed primarily of cinder block. The building has a multi-purpose recreation room that operates as a hub for local events and is also able to function as a voting station. Another notable area frequented by the building's residents is the stone garden in a cove near the building. Center Park has over 100 independent living units, an office to assist those who find difficulty completing their day-to-day activities, and a free meals program (offering three meals per day in the cafeteria and accessible to those of low-income). Neighborhood buses also run fairly frequently throughout the area. Center Park is one of the few buildings that is almost completely wheelchair-accessible.