The Downtown Riverfront Park is Open!

View looking west from the river overlook at the east terminus of 5th Avenue (all photos are by me).

The City of Eugene celebrated the grand opening of the new Downtown Riverfront Park this weekend. My wife and I took advantage of a brief break in Saturday’s wet weather to check out Eugene’s latest attraction. Having now walked through the mostly finished product, I will share a few thoughts about it.

 

The City of Eugene and Eugene Water & Electric Board first discussed the potential of a new park as part of the greater Downtown Riverfront redevelopment in 2008; I have tracked its design progress ever since. Though city staff have always envisioned the Downtown Riverfront Park as “urban in character,” it most importantly reestablishes the primacy of the Willamette River as a defining natural feature within Eugene’s urban core. Given its central location, it is destined to become a highlight for users of the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System.

Looking east from the river overlook at 5th Avenue

 

The power of the Willamette River—swollen by unseasonably high rainfalls—was in full evidence during our visit. Views from the new park’s overlooks highlighted the pronounced bend of the river through a consequential stretch of its meandering course northward. We enjoyed the riverbank and natural habitat enhancements, which already appeared well-established and mature. In the future, when the full scope of the Downtown Riverfront transformation is complete, the naturalistic treatment of the riverbank and the light touch of the pedestrian and bicycle paths that parallel it will complement the vertical development of the new neighborhood.

  

The City of Eugene selected the Portland landscape architecture firm of Walker Macy as its prime design consultant for the Downtown Riverfront Park. Echoing the City’s perspective, the firm characterizes its design as a “signature urban park.” Walker Macy also worked on the related upland infrastructure and streetscape design, which included significant stormwater treatment and phytoremediation through expansive rain gardens. As built, the park’s design reflects the considerable input Walker Macy received from members of the public during a series of open workshops (some of which I attended).  

 

Site Plan by Walker Macy.

Looking west toward the former EWEB headquarters. 

Though linear and shallow in proportions, the park does pack a lot into a small area.

 

Walker Macy’s design includes layers of varied treatment that echo the line of the river’s course:  pedestrian and bicycle paths, a boardwalk, guardrails, rain gardens, light fixtures, assortments of native plantings, and more. These layers visually enrich the linear park by means of texture, material, and color. Rather than an abrupt demarcation between the natural and the machine-made, the layered treatment presents a gradated transition.

SubSupra

 

A prominent feature of the park is a shiny pavilion adjacent to the river outlook at the east terminus of the newly extended 5th Avenue. Entitled SubSupra, the sculptural, reflective form is the work of Jill Anholt Studio. According to Anholt’s website, the pavilion “brings the undulating depth and shape of the Willamette River’s underwater terrain to shore where it becomes a dramatic and iconic gathering space at the river’s edge” that captures the “transformative and infinitely reflective character of the water itself.”   

 

While SubSupra does suggest shimmering movement and fluidity, its four legs appear clumsy and lacking in grace, and the supporting framing above is awkwardly visible from certain vantages. I don’t know how I might have solved the problem of holding up the canopy differently (skyhooks, maybe?) so perhaps I should reserve judgment.

 

Taking in the view from one of the new shelters along the riverfront path.

Collaborating with Walker Macy’s team, 2fORM Architecture designed the two steel and wood shelters that provide seating at strategic points along the pedestrian path. I like how the staggered benches in the larger of the two allows unrelated individuals, couples, or families to comfortably occupy it at the same time. I read somewhere that 2fORM purposely shaped the parabolic roof forms to reflect the sounds of the river down those seated below.

Interpretive art integrated into the deck drainage at one of the river overlooks. Click to enlarge the image and read the words cast in bronze, which refer to the history of the site as the previous EWEB service yard. 

 

We discovered several integrated art pieces; I am sure we missed others. A future piece will be a sculptural bronze water fountain that will frame views across the river to Alton Baker Park. According to the City’s project website, the proposed fountain (to be installed later this year) will tell the story of Eugene’s first predominantly African-American neighborhood, which the City razed to make way for the construction of the Ferry Street Bridge.

River overlook.

 A river runs through the city.

The new Downtown Riverfront Park is just a part of the yet-to-be realized larger vision for an active and accessible riverfront district and community destination. We should appreciate that at only three acres in total area, the Riverfront Park is a relatively small, albeit important, component of the 16-acre development. A future mix of complementary uses promise to more fully bring the city to the river. Notably, the park will be contiguous with the 1-acre plaza that will serve as a centerpiece of the Downtown Riverfront neighborhood. The developer, Atkins Dame, says construction of the hundreds of new housing units and new retail spaces will begin this fall, with total buildout scheduled to occur in 2025. Additionally, a team led by Mark Miksis of deChase Miksis Development and Arcimoto CEO Mark Frohnmayer propose to turn the shuttered EWEB steam plant into a vibrant, multi-use facility.  

 

Notwithstanding the incomplete state of the overall development, I feel comfortable assessing the park’s role in helping connect downtown Eugene to the Willamette River. Standing on its own merits, the Downtown Riverfront Park already accomplishes much. It restores the continuity of the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path. It offers access to and views of the river. Its design features enhance and protect the natural habitats at the rivers’ edge. Most importantly, the new Downtown Riverfront Park will heighten our awareness of the historically significant river that courses through the heart of our city. Upon completion and full occupancy of the new housing and retail development that will border it, I have confidence the Downtown Riverfront Park will vindicate the City of Eugene’s efforts to create a regional destination where the river meets the city. 

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The Downtown Riverfront Park is hosting a free fan festival July 15-24 for visitors and local community members during the World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field. The festival may be a perfect opportunity for you to explore the new park if you have not done so beforehand.