The Town Square project in Hope, Indiana, was awarded the Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Indiana. The QBS Award recognizes public organizations, private entities, and/or individuals that make exemplary use of the QBS selection process at the federal, state, and local levels.

Projects chosen for the QBS award provide examples of how well the QBS process works and help ACEC promote the practice of QBS for the selection of engineering services.

The Hope Town Square project rejuvenated the Town’s gathering space and enhanced the functionality of the Square and accessibility for citizens with disabilities, while maintaining its rich and unique character. Since its creation in 1830, the Town Square has always been a symbol of the close-knit community of Hope, Indiana, serving as the prime gathering space for the Town. To help promote the town as a tourist destination by encouraging events like antique car rallies and concerts in the bandstand, the Square needed modernization.  Improvements made within the Square included the addition of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant sidewalks, access throughout the park for maintenance vehicles, brick paver areas, relocation of existing benches, flagpole upgrades, creation of picnic table areas, wayfinding signage, and replacement of existing light poles with period-representative designs. Areas around the Square received new plantings, benches, waste receptacles, and replacement of existing light poles.