City in Kansas Creates an Urban Green Space with an LED Sign

The city of Concordia, Kansas, wanted to create an event location for friends, families and out-of-town visitors. The development committee decided to transform a burned-out area downtown into Broadway Plaza, a park with a video display.

“We started thinking about how it was in the past when neighbors sat on their porches, listening to the radio, and visiting with each other. We wanted to get people outside, interacting with each other,” says Ashley Hutchinson, executive director of CloudCorp (the contracted operator of the plaza).

The park helps attract visitors by using the video display to run movies and both professional and local sporting events. Visitors tailgate and grow closer together in this urban green space. The city also sells advertising space on the display to retailers.

After some online research, the committee contacted Daktronics for help developing a bid spec. We suggested a product shoot out, since several companies wanted to sell a video display to the city. The committee viewed the displays side by side on location.

“After the shootout, the decision to buy Daktronics came down to money and quality,” says Hutchinson. “We wanted the highest-quality screen that fit our budget.”

“We also appreciated the good information Daktronics provided, explaining that modules can be replaced, if the need should occur, instead of replacing the entire video screen,” says Hutchinson.

The Venus Control Suite software made an impression at the shootout, too. “It looked user friendly at the demonstration. Since then, the operator has found it easy to work with; she picked it up right away,” Hutchinson says.

Congratulations to Concordia, Kansas, for successfully stimulating local business by creating a wonderful environment for a shared community experience.