“It’s happening independent of anything else,” said Jeannie Welliver of the city’s Department of Economic and Community Development.

Officials hope to complete the project before Richmond hosts the UCI Road World Championships in 2015, but Welliver said the timetable for removing the existing structure is still unclear. The name of the new plaza is also undetermined, she said.

In general, the plan was received favorably by the 75 to 100 people who attended the meeting

Some attendees said the images looked too much like something you’d see at a suburban mall. There were several suggestions for how it could be improved.

Norman Roscher, of Fulton Hill, asked why there wasn’t something specifically for children, such as swings or a merry-go-round.

“You know, something simple,” Roscher said. “Like we grew up with.”

He also mentioned the possibility of a bandstand.

Officials said they wanted to stay away from fixed features to ensure that the space can serve a wide variety of uses, from festivals to outdoor movies to group exercise classes to market vendors.