By Ken Alltucker
Enquirer staff writer

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. today will unveil a long-anticipated plan to overhaul Fountain Square that aims to create unique pedestrian-friendly spaces and trigger revitalization of the area.

The goal is to attract new shops, restaurants and entertainment attractions on the square and its surrounding blocks.

Stephen Leeper, the private development group's chief executive, declined to discuss the plan until City Council's community development committee meets today at 11 a.m.

Councilman David Crowley, who chairs the committee, said the redesign "interests us all" and must be attractive to visitors.

The development group, known as 3CDC, gathered and analyzed hundreds of public comments and ideas from landscape and design consultants during a half-dozen meetings in May.

Top public recommendations included ensuring that the Tyler Davidson Fountain remain the square's centerpiece and adding more green space, the group's Fountain Square project manager, Pam Middendorff, said last week.

A controversial point has been the fate of the skywalk linking the square across Vine Street. Middendorff last week said the public is "evenly divided" on whether to keep or junk the skywalk.

"From a retail standpoint, we'd love to take that down and activate that wall," Middendorff said.

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E-mail kalltucker@enquirer.com