Smale Riverfront Park undergoing changes to benefit community

In 2012, the Fath Family Fountain was completed as part of Phase 1 construction of the riverfront. It’s located between the Duke Energy Garden and the Black Brigade Monument in Smale Riverfront Park.
 
The fountain is named after Harry and Linda Fath, who have been very generous to the city, says Susan Dorward, executive director of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. The Fath’s $500,000 gift covered the cost of the fountain’s construction.
 
“We approached them with opportunities for a variety of projects, but the fountain seemed to resonate with them,” she says. “They’ve been friends of the Cincinnati parks for a long time.”
 
But the fountain isn’t the only new project in Smale Riverfront Park. The next project to see completion is the Heekin PNC Bank Grow Up Great Adventure Playground, which is east of the Roebling Bridge. Just west of the bridge, a carousel will be installed, along with a pavilion facility. There are also plans for four interactive exercise “rooms,” which will feature motion, light, sound and water. A tree grove and esplanade are also in the works.
 
These projects are to be completed by July 2015, just in time for the MLB All-Star Game.
 
“Our vision as an organization is to provide a venue that will not only attract people from the community down to the riverfront, but also be a destination for out-of-town visitors,” Dorward says. “We know that having parks in a community makes the community safer, more vibrant, and helps the retail industry grow.”
 
Redevelopment of the riverfront has been an ongoing project since the 1990s. The first phase was redoing Fort Washington Way between downtown and what is now The Banks; phase two was connecting the stadiums; phase three was the development of The Banks and surrounding riverfront; and phase four is The Banks Phase 2.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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