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Tuesday, February 11, 2025

A Refined River Vision

Tweaks made to Ohio River redevelopment plan

Plans for a revamped Ohio River shoreline in Downtown Evansville remain on the table, and they prioritize tiered gathering spots, pedestrian trails, and more. Now, the next steps include crafting more detailed designs and searching for construction dollars.

As shown in a project update by Sasaki, the architectural firm working with the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership, the area referred to in the plan as Great Bend Park would involve a Riverside Drive narrowed to two lanes of reduced-speed traffic, built-in sitting areas, and a winding trail for biking, running, and walking that becomes an elevated canopy at one point.

The Four Freedoms Monument, a riverfront landmark currently between Walnut and Chestnut streets, relocates to a grassy spot near Riverside Drive and Main Street. Renderings show splash pads, a restaurant building, a shade structure that could be used for a vendors’ market, and an expanding staircase down to the river, with kayak rentals.

Architects also envision sports courts and fields, an updated playground, apartments, and townhomes.

These major elements have stayed the same since the plan’s reveal in May 2024, but a few tweaks have been made, according to Sasaki.

Some areas of Great Bend Park have been elevated, because “we want to ensure that after every flood, we’re not out there cleaning up,” says Anna Cawrse, principal landscape architect with Sasaki. The changes are noticeable: An updated rendering shows a single-story for the restaurant space.

Architects flip-flopped the project’s playground and residential spaces to make them better fit around a pump station. The change also brings the playground closer to the restaurant building. Cawrse says architects thought doing that would provide parents with opportunities to grab food and eat while their children are playing.

An apartment building with 145 units is envisioned for the shoreline south on Riverside, between Chestnut and Cherry streets, next to the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science, with a townhome development and sports facilities on the opposite side of the museum.

Sasaki and E-REP say public feedback carried substantial weight in the vision for Great Bend Park. Thousands of people commented about the riverfront in 2023 at public meetings and through an online process.

Full implementation of the vision could take 20 years, officials say, and the next steps involve creating schematic designs for first phases, while also working with entities such as the Army Corps of Engineers and the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Levee Authority District.

Public and private dollars will be pursued for the riverfront redevelopment, according to officials. A $5 million grant from Indiana’s READI program, which supports economic development efforts in Hoosier communities, is financing the early design process.

“One of the most important things to think about is that this is a plan that’s built for generations to come,” says Ashley Diekmann, River Vision advancement director for E-REP. “Everybody will be able to partake in this. It will be all-inclusive, and we will make sure that it is built to last.”

Mount Vernon and Newburgh, Indiana, meanwhile, also are to see riverfront upgrades. Cawrse says Sasaki is listening to Mount Vernon residents’ vision for the future of Sherburne Park, while in Newburgh, an ongoing parking study will help determine future riverfront projects in that community.

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