The new plaza design also includes many trees and flowers and features concrete, rock, and brick out of respect for Alpena’s history.

People with disabilities will also be able to navigate the plaza much easier than the current plaza allows them to.

Officials say the plaza needs large-scale improvements because of its failing infrastructure and to make it more accessible to people with disabilities.

The council voted five-to-zero to move forward with the design, which officials can still amend because of cost or tweak to add or subtract small details.

The updated plans come after public backlash over a preliminary design released last year, which spurred the city to survey what people wanted to have in the popular downtown plaza.

Aaron Senchuk, landscape designer for Drost Landscape, of Petoskey, compiled the survey results and incorporated the most-requested aspects into the new design plan.

Senchuk said the plan allows versatile use during any part of the day and any season of the year. He said the lighting and material that will be used will add a sense of tranquility and elegance.

The annual Christmas tree will tower over the plaza from the stage.

The highlight of the plaza for many will likely be the water feature, which will flow along 2nd Avenue toward Chisholm Street, with trees that provide a canopy of shade along its route.

The manmade river will begin on a slight elevation and flow downward through small waterfalls until it ends at the eastern side of the park. The design includes areas in the water feature for people to wade or dangle their feet in the water, or they can just sit nearby and enjoy the sound of the running water, Senchuk said.

The fire feature will probably be a hit, too, Senchuk said.

Senchuk said the fire element will be about 6 feet long and can easily accommodate eight people around it. He said more people can enjoy the fire and heat if they don’t mind crowding together a little.

The fire element will be controlled by users. A knob will be available to turn on the flame, much like what is set up at the splash park at Starlite Beach.

City Manager Rachel Smolinski said she is pleased with the new design and said it was made possible by those who responded to the survey.

“It’s a great design, and I thank the community for giving all of their feedback,” Smolinski said. “It really helped to make a better design and a better project.”

Getting the project started as soon as possible is paramount because of the failing concrete at the plaza now and leaks in the fountain and underground plumbing.

Mayor Pro Tempore Cindy Johnson said Sunday that how quickly the plaza is completed and how closely it will resemble the new proposed design will depend on funding.

“People have to understand, this is still a rendering, and it will depend on budgets, fundraising, and what people are willing to donate,” she said. “It is simply a matter of dollars. What we are proposing may not be 100% what the plaza will end up looking like, but it is a really good representation of the direction we want to go.”