As part of a JMU term contract for full architectural services, MMM prepared concept alternatives for the creation of a central campus pedestrian mall to serve more than 15,000 students on the 495-acre campus. Located along the eastern side of the west campus between Bluestone Drive and Grace Street, the mall provides a landscaped pedestrian thoroughfare fronting the historic Quad, as well as other academic buildings from Burruss Hall to Wilson Hall and Varner House.

A topographic survey was performed in selected areas along the mall corridor, while plaza design alternatives were proposed (with cost options) that included bluestone hardscaping, pedestal placement, and lighting accents for statuary and other landscape enhancement. Envisioned in five design phases, the central campus pedestrian mall needed to provide an aesthetic yet practical “sense of place” for students, faculty, and visitors alike, while articulating the mission and values of the university.