Upgrade? Where?

I read in a local paper that our neighborhood park was being upgraded and volunteers had helped to clear out "brush". They completely removed a "fire" bush on the side of the building that was a beautiful red in the fall. Since they were painting the building, perhaps they felt that was necessary and I can see that it might have been. But .. I am truly dismayed by what has happened in the front of the community building. The "brush" they removed was not "brush". It was almost all of the flowers that bloomed every year and beautified the plain, brown building.

BEFORE

AFTER

This is how it looks after the "upgrade". I understand this is only "phase one" but this has been barren looking for at least a month and I feel sad every time I look at it. I feel sure there MUST have been a reason for this but I truly don't know what it could have been.