Friday, October 1, 2021
Riverfront Park Improvement Planning Underway
Building on the recommendations of its Comprehensive Plan, the City of Newport is undertaking a design process for improvements to Festival Park, one of Greater Cincinnati's premier gathering destinations, and is beginning to plan for the future of General James Taylor Park.
Thanks to a $2.5 million federal grant from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) that will help with partial funding, Newport is planning a complete overhaul of Festival Park, known for hosting annual festivals, gatherings and events that include Italianfest, Riverfest, The Great Inland Seafood Fest, Goettafest and Oktoberfest. The goal of the project is to enhance the riverfront and create a more inviting space for residents and nearby employees to enjoy on a daily basis. The City has formed a planning committee to assist with the design concepts. The role of the committee is to provide City leaders with input on design needs; provide feedback on design concepts; and review final design details.
After an RFQ Process, Prime AE was selected as lead engineering firm for the project, with the assistance of Luckett & Farley for landscape architecture and design, and Geotechnology, LLC for geotechnical and structural design.
General James Taylor Park concepts are also being generated, and funding sought, for future improvements to the Park, celebrating its history and the confluence of the Licking and Ohio Rivers.
Presentations from the Ad Hoc Committee Meetings can be found at the below links. For more information, contact Larisa Sims at lsims@newportky.gov.
Meeting #1, May 11, 2021
Meeting #2, September 22, 2021
Meeting #3, December 3, 2021