B. What Are the Civic Building and Plaza? The Veterans Plaza’s primary use is as a large public open space that can be programmed for festivals and concerts. Examples of this include the annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival, which is held under the portico at the front of the Civic Building, and the pavilion on the plaza where the Silver Spring Swings summer concert series is held.11 During the winter, the pavilion area is for a seasonal ice skating rink. In addition, the Plaza is open to the community for daily use and smaller events that may occur on a regular basis, such as the new “Plaza Evenings” and the Fenton Street Market on Saturday mornings.12 The name carries on the legacy from the old Armory that was torn down to allow for the current redevelopment. However, the name has another meaning too, helping to contribute to the sense of space by representing how the community has strived to make the plaza a “dignified place to gather, a place to honor our veterans, and a place for civic discourse.”13 As such, Veterans Plaza will include a memorial commemorating the service of veterans of Silver Spring and Montgomery County. 14§ The other component of this public space is the Silver Spring Civic Building, which has emerged as one of main centers of community activities in Silver Spring. Private businesses, community organizations, local residents or County officials can rent the different rooms in the building through Community Use of Public Facilities, which sets the rates. The largest space is the Great Hall, which can hold a maximum of 725 people and be subdivided into multiple spaces and can be rented for banquets, §
The memorial will be a free-standing sketched glass art piece by Toby Mendez, a Frederick County artist who created the Thurgood Marshall Memorial at the State Capitol.
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