urban design

Evansville Downtown Riverfront

 

Completed in 2002, Evansville's Downtown Riverfront has undergone an eleven million dollar renovation that has transformed its crumbling riverfront to a place of civic pride. The one-third mile long project has renewed the levee-top esplanade into parallel pedestrian and bike paths that are the downtown-traversing segment of the planned city-encircling Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage.

 

The former barren space hosts festivals, concerts, fireworks, and world-class hydroplane racing.  The two-way bicycle trail is separated from the pedestrian zone through the use of paving materials and pattern.  A parallel timeline of seventy-two stainless steel plaques traces the city's riverfront history.  Overlooks were punched into the levee wall to create river viewing platforms. Graceful stairs break the levee wall barrier to access new, tiered seating that cascades down to the lower level plaza.  A traffic-calmed undulating access drive provides total accessibility, pleasure craft launching and events staging access.  Dramatic lighting beacons in rhythmic bay spacing are a modern foil to the otherwise historically themed downtown.

 

A one-mile extension of the riverfront urban design is underway as the Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage expands to engage the Museum District and adjacent city parks.  The City has reclaimed its waterfront as a first step towards realizing its dream to become a "City Within a Park".
  Aerial view of the 1/3 mile long Evansville Riverfront
  Overlook punched into the Evansville Riverfront Levee wall
  550 seats for festivals at the Evansville Riverfront Two parallel paths dedicated to separate travel for pedestrians and bicyclists along the Evansville Riverfront View of the Ohio River from the Evansville Riverfront 72 interpretive plaques line the Evansville Riverfront Esplanade

 

additional resources

 

Project Description [visit]

Riverfront Slide Show [visit]

 

Riverfront Esplanade [visit]

Riverfront Maps [visit]

 

Riverfront Dress Plaza [visit]

Riverfront Pre-Construction Views [visit]

 

Riverfront Graphics [visit]

Riverfront Festivals [visit]
 

Riverfront Urban Details [visit]

Downtown Greenway [visit]

 

Riverfront Landscape [visit]

Evansville Parks Master Plan [visit]
   

 

 

team

 

Lead Planning and Urban Design: Storrow Kinsella Associates Inc

 

Architect of Record:  Veazey Parrott Durkin & Shoulders

 

Civil/Structural Engineer:  Bernardin Lochmueller & Associates, Inc.
 

Contractor:  Weddle Brothers Construction Company, Inc.