SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An architectural firm and a local environmental non-for-profit have teamed up to reimagine a blighted piece of the Near Westside.

Nomad Studios generated a proposal for redesigning Leavenworth Circle, situated at an awkward five-way intersection where Onondaga Avenue and West Onondaga Street meet. The redesign was commissioned by Atlantic States Legal Foundation, which provides legal and organizational expertise on environmental issues.

The redesign focuses on creating a green space that's friendly to the environment and beneficial to the neighborhood. It also hopes to restore a once-prominent neighborhood landmark.

In the late 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, Leavenworth Circle was a spectacle of grandeur in a neighborhood lined with large, Victorian homes. Today, the circle is bordered by several abandoned homes and its fountain is little more than a pile of rocks.

The redesign would turn the area into a 1.6-acre green space with a digital LED fountain. The fountain would feature a "digital water curtain" that could show patterns or words in the water. The proposal also includes space for community gardens and public art.

West Onondaga Street would be closed where it currently runs into Delaware Street and that portion of the road would be incorporated as part of the park.

The redesign is still in its infancy. Advocates will need to generate support and find money for the project. Last month, a pair of architects from Nomad met with neighbors and a few community leaders to share their proposal for the park and start the conversation.