By John Johnston
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati's Urban Design Review Board on Tuesday criticized the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center's design plans for a 2-acre park on its south lawn.

Freedom Center officials said the design would be reworked.

They also said changes in the interior design of the center, spurred by the need for more security in the post-Sept. 11 era, will result in about $2 million in additional construction costs.

A south wall of the central pavilion is being moved eight feet to the south to accommodate the need for metal detectors and an X-ray machine. In making those changes, the Freedom Center saw the opportunity to double the size of its gift shop.

But most of the Urban Design Review Board's comments dealt with the park that would occupy the area south of the Freedom Center's three riverfront pavilions.

Vivian Llambi, whose landscape architecture firm was hired by the Freedom Center to design the park, laid out plans that include three themed areas: a children's section, an amphitheater and an area for quiet reflection.

"We want to make the park a destination in and of itself," said Sue Feamster, the Freedom Center's vice president for advancement.

But members of the review board, which reviews all major downtown projects, said pathways from the Freedom Center to the park don't flow smoothly.

Likewise, they said, there is no free-flowing transition from the river to the park.

The board also said too many activities are built into the park.

E-mail jjohnston@enquirer.com