Hilton Head's Compass Rose Park opens today

Hilton Head Island's grand experiment in park design will be introduced to the public for the first time today.

The town will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Compass Rose Park, located on the corner of Pope Avenue and New Orleans Road.

The project symbolizes a new era in parks for the island, diverging from the usual ball fields or passive open space to a more urban design.

Here are some park facts:

>b>What is it?

A mix of urban architecture and natural beauty. The park transitions from terraced plazas with several art installations down to a path leading into the marshland, with a waterfall and reflection pool along the way.

The name and planned art installations are an homage to Sea Pines. The compass rose was the first emblem of the island's first modern development.

Other art pieces will pay tribute to the history of the community and its founder, Charles Fraser.

How much did it cost?

The work has cost just more than $1 million thus far, and could be up to $1.3 million when everything is complete.

What are some of the highlights?

The park includes a variety of plants, but they won't be saplings. The town has purchased several large live oaks 8-12 inches in diameter instead of 1- to 2-inch young trees, urban designer Ed Drane said.

"We wanted it to look like the landscaping had matured for a while," he said. "We didn't want it to look brand new."

Two art fixtures also have been installed at the park: a partially rotating fountain and a bronze cast compass rose that was used at the entrance to Sea Pines when it first opened. The fountain also contains a compass rose symbol, which will always point north, Drane said. The fountain itself weights more than 22,000 pounds, he said.

Two more pieces of art are planned: a story wall showing the history of Sea Pines and a statue of the iconic image of Charles Fraser "walking" an alligator.

The story wall will be installed once the statue is complete, Drane said. Savannah sculptor Susie Chisolm has been selected to create the statue, which will take about nine months.

When is the ribbon-cutting?

A ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. today to officially open the park.

Speakers include town manager Steve Riley, Mayor Tom Peeples and Joe Fraser III.

Parking is limited at the site, but the town has permission to use bank parking across the street for the event.