Contest to decide gateway between Westerly, Pawcatuck

Stonington — After its board of directors was unable to come to a consensus on which of two designs to choose, the Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce has announced it will hold a contest to come up with a design for an iconic gateway entrance into downtown Westerly and Pawcatuck.

In September, the chamber announced that it was undertaking an effort to build a $400,000 to $500,000 gateway on the Pawcatuck River Bridge that would create a sense of place and arrival, reflect the history, culture and connection of the two communities and become a tourist attraction.

“We envision this gateway being highly photographed in state travel guides and the ultimate “selfie” spot for visitors. This is a legacy piece — a gift to the next generation,” the chamber states in its explanation of the design contest.

Chamber officials have likened the gateway to landmarks such as the Frog Bridge in Willimantic and the pine cone arch on Federal Hill in Providence.

“Seattle has the space needle, St. Louis has

the arch, Hollywood has the ‘Welcome to Hollywood' sign in the hills, Sydney has the opera house, Venice has the giant hands emerging from the river — these are all major cities with a dramatic architectural landmark. We are a small New England community and desire something noteworthy that is scaled/designed in the context of our charming environment, rich history, culture and growing arts scene,” says the chamber's explanation of the project.

The original two designs were not released to the public. One was described as more traditional and the other more modern.

Chamber President Lisa Konicki said chamber board members discussed the two designs at three meetings but could not reach a consensus.

She said the board decided that the prudent thing to do was to have a contest to get more designs.

“Maybe another one will resonate more with us,” she said, adding the two initial designs also will be under consideration.

Konicki said that the chamber wants the design it chooses to be embraced by the community.

“We have to sell this to the community,” she said.

The chamber also would have to obtain funding for the project.

“This is a really ambitious project. There's a hundred reasons why it may not come to fruition. We know that,” she said.

She said the board hopes the contest will attract another 10 designs. She said that three architects or artists already have indicated they are interested in submitting a design, one of whom is from Stonington.

The description of the contest offers an extensive history of the two towns and what they offer as well as what is envisioned for the gateway and detailed requirements for submissions.

The competition is open to architects, students of architecture, artists, recent graduates and associated disciplines from around the United States.

The first and second place designs will receive a $2,000 and $1,000 award, respectively, and there is a $500 prize for students.

The chamber will accept designs until Feb. 14.

As for the creativity of the design, the chamber recommended “be thoughtful, be brave, be whimsical or be sophisticated ... but please, make us proud, get us to smile, take our breath away, or evoke a ‘wow' with your design.”

The proposals must also have an estimated total cost not to exceed $500,000 and take into account the challenges and structural integrity limitations and requirements of the bridge, which is slated for a major upgrade in about six years.

Details of the contest are available at www.oceanchamber.org.