Grafton Paramount Plaza

Nestled in the Village’s historic downtown, Paramount Plaza honors the community’s little known ties to the African-American jazz and blues recording industry of the 1920s and 1930s that produced records in the Village. The plaza also implements a recommendation from our team’s downtown master plan that called for a public space to host community events in the downtown.

The plaza replaces a little used street and features a performance stage, a water feature, theme lighting, a sound system, a pavement pattern symbolic of a piano keys, and sculpture elements symbolic of musical instruments. It is a center of activity for thousands of visitors who attend markets, fairs, and music events. The plaza has created a new destination, bringing customers to shops and restaurants.

The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects presented a 2010 Award of Merit for the project.

• Downtown & Urban Planning & Design
• Park Planning & Design