As Fairbanks city officials and staff plan the future development of the site of the now-toppled Polaris Building and developers begin expressing interest in the location, a long-time urban planner has an ambitious proposal for long-term use of the space.

Corey DiRutigliano, a transportation planner with Fairbanks Area Surface Transportation (FAST) Planning, pitched an idea in a brief but thorough presentation at Tuesday’s Fairbanks City Council work session.

His vision: a central gathering space meant to draw summer and winter activities, retail chalets, temporary play structures and pop-up events such as food trucks, art fairs and markets.

“Vacant land in the city center signals decline, reduces foot traffic and undermines nearby businesses,” DiRutigliano said. “Without proactive use,

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