Riverfront Park progress shows signs of things to come

The construction of Cincinnati's Riverfront Park reached a milestone last week when a newly-relocated stretch of Mehring Way opened to the public.

The road's relocation required immense infrastructure work, including new foundations for the Roebling bridge, but was integral to the success of the park, project manager Dave Prather said. It was one of many major planning hurdles overcome in the 13 years since the project began.

"I can still remember the magic marker arcs drawn on a napkin," Prather said. "We had been asking 'how are we going to build a river-front park with a road so close to the river?"

The road's new location, a few hundred feet north of the old one, will make room for a large green space, bike path, labyrinth, fountain and other public gathering spaces near the bank of the river. But the features just to the north of the new Mehring Way will be completed first, by next fall. Those will include three levels of public space. At the top level, an event lawn will gently slope from the future Moerlein Brew House to an event stage, bordering the commercial and residential development called The Banks that is being constructed in tandem with the park.

Two stories below the lawn, with parking in between, will be more water features and a large set of stairs flanking the Roebling Bridge. A geo-thermally heated visitor's center and bicycle center will also be constructed on that level.

"If you want to commute into town, you'll be able to bring your bike into the garage, swipe your card, go into men's or women's showers and locker rooms and walk to work," Prather said. "Or that could be your lunchtime workout."

Prather, who has nurtured the project along since it's planning began in 1997, said all the massive changes to the riverfront in recent years, including two new stadiums and the re-engineering of Fort Washington Way, have allowed the park to vie for the land and money needed to become the 40-acre project it is today.

"I'm really glad we didn't build the ideas we had 12 years ago," he said. "There are many more features now."

Though he said the project was "on schedule," Prather said several major steps were reached earlier than initially planned due to the availability of federal stimulus money. After the remaining cash comes in, and the adjacent Lot Two parking garage is opened, much of the asphalt to the west of the Roebling Bridge will become green space too.

Writer: Henry Sweets
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