Take Me To The River - Tennessee Riverpark

Parks & Recreation, Jan, 2000 by Laurie Perry Vaughen

The Riverpark began with a conversation, a dialogue, a collective vision that continues today.

The river has always been there. Native American cultures and, later, immigrant pioneers and industrial entrepreneurs all found Chattanooga to be a distinct place, a crossroads where the river valley sweeps through the surrounding mountains. It is hard to imagine life in Chattanooga apart from the Tennessee River. But slowly it happened. Cities, like rivers, are constantly changing.

"We are not unlike most American cities. We turned our back on the riverfront and almost forgot it was there," says Jim Bowen, one of the original participants in the development of the Tennessee Riverpark master plan and vice president of RiverValley Partners, a public-private economic development company. "We drove across it to go to work, but that was about it. Now," jokes Bowen, "you could announce a rock throw down at the river and probably 30,000 people would come down to see it."

This is the story of the Tennessee Riverpark, a series of unique public parks connected by a 22-mile winding greenway along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga. It was born of the cooperative efforts of the city of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, the state of Tennessee, the federal government, area foundations, RiverValley Partners, and private citizens. The Riverpark has become a tangible realization of the connections among the people of a diverse city.

The Riverpark began with a conversation, a dialogue, a collective vision that continues today. Each new development of the Riverpark -- from the freshwater aquarium at Ross's Landing Plaza to the Walnut Street bridge to recently opened Coolidge Park -- has raised the bar on the design standards of the city's built environment and offered a refreshing rediscovery of the natural world. The Tennessee Riverpark is a catalyst with continuing momentum to knit together the community's people, its great built public spaces, and its natural scenic habitat.

In 1995 the Riverpark received the prestigious Honor Award for Urban Design from the American Institute of Architects. A year later, the Riverwalk, the scenic pedestrian pathway connecting the Riverpark's string of diverse parks and playgrounds, was included in A Guide to Great American Public Places along with such national favorites as Times Square, New Orleans' French Quarter, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and New York's Central Park.

The Tennessee Riverpark continues to draw national attention to Chattanooga. In 1999 Walking magazine named the city one of the country's most walkable communities. Family Pun listed Chattanooga one of the country's top 10 family-friendly cities; the Riverwalk received the top listing for outdoor fun: "Our favorite places are beautiful and easy to navigate. They offer a special spirit that can turn an ordinary walk into a memorable learning adventure" (Feb. 1998).

The newest jewel of the Tennessee Riverpark system is Coolidge Park, located on Chattanooga's north shore waterfront. The 6-acre park is named in honor of Charles Coolidge, a World War II Medal of Honor recipient. Coolidge and his wife were special guests at the Grande Celebration, which marked the park's official opening last October. The highlight of their day was a ride on the park's restored Denzel carousel. The three-row carousel, originally built in 1895 for Atlanta's Grant Park, features 52 intricately painted, hand-carved animals created by students of artisan Bud Ellis at Horsin' Around, a year-round carousel animal carving school in Chattanooga.

At the center of the park is an interactive play fountain surrounded by eight water-spouting sculpted animals, which appear to be rising out of a sandy beach. The Walker Pavilion at the park honors former Chattanooga mayor and strong park proponent Robert Kirk Walker and his wife, Joy, a civic activist.

The park, landscaped with various colors and circular patterns of pavers, can be viewed from above on the Walnut Street bridge, a 100-plus-year-old restored pedestrian bridge that spans the Tennessee River, connecting downtown's riverfront with the north shore.

One of the most prized aspects of Coolidge Park is its wide expanse of open lawn, an ellipse of green, down by the riverside.

Located adjacent to the Chattanooga Theatre Center, the nation's longest-running community theater, Coolidge Park also includes a stage for performing arts programs and concerts. Two hopscotch courts are inlaid in the Riverwalk pathway. Designed by Chattanooga sculptor Jim Collins, they complement the bronze dance steps he created for the Frazier Avenue shopping area near the park. In 1994 Chattanooga won the City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors for its use of arts in downtown revitalization.

The hopscotch courts are part of the small but signature details important to planners. Children from across the county were involved in crafting the detailed fish mosaic borders that adorn structures along the Riverwalk. "It is important to incorporate whimsy and humor and fun with public art and design along the way," Bowen says. Another example of Chattanooga's attention to detail appears along the original Riverwalk setting. A large fish made of brick and mortar offers a respite to walkers and a spectacular view of the river. The newest addition to what has become "Chattanooga's street furniture" was designed by local artist David Barber. The 10-foot-long fish, titled "Catch of the Day," has found a perfect location near the fishing piers. Barber's work was recognized in a competition sponsored by a partnership among the Chattanooga nonprofit Association for Visual Artists, the Masonry Association of Chattanooga, and General Shale Products.