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The monumental efforts of a persistent and focused group of Greenville leaders has finally come to fruition with the approval on Tuesday, July 16, of a $12.5-million budget that opens the door to the construction of a splendid new park in downtown Greenville on the Reedy River. The river and its majestic falls were originally a source of fresh water, simple power for gristmills, and recreation in the early years of the settlement that was to become Greenville. Through the years, the river became an ugly, industrial eyesore, particularly during the last century. While most of the industrial pollution was a thing of the past by the early 1980s, the river remained a part of the city that most residents had written off as a loss. But, with the creation of this magnificent new park, the Reedy will be returned to the natural beauty it was years ago.
The first step in the construction process began July 31 with the demolition of the Camperdown Bridge. Once the bridge is down, a view of the falls will open up to the area where the park will be placed. Once completed, the new park, which is unnamed at present, will include east and west plazas, cafes, bike paths, public gardens, sculpture, viewing areas, and a footbridge along the river, all built with an eye toward widespread use by the residents of the city. The entire park is scheduled for completion by the spring of 2004. Several smaller access areas are built into the plan, and park architects hope to attract people who frequent downtown venues such as The Peace Center to walk through and enjoy the beauty of the park.
While the view of the Reedy River Falls will, perhaps, be the main sightseeing attraction of the park, the public gardens have been designed to be a major focal point. Artists' renderings have been formulated, and exact details for the plantings will be developed as construction gets underway. Funding for the park is made possible through the city's hospitality tax, the central business district tax, and several bonds. No new taxes will be imposed to pay for the new park.
Greenville.com extends its heartiest thanks to our city's leaders who showed the courage, persistence, and forward thinking in the conception and implementation of a project as enormous and cumbersome as the Reedy River Project.
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The aptly named Quality of Life Committee, comprised of City Council members and private citizens, went through the formality of approving the budget on July 16, but the real work of pulling this project together had already taken place. Years of public meetings, planning sessions, and fact-finding trips were well behind them. Now is the time to celebrate the actual onset of the construction process.
The park will have two entrances, one at the West Plaza and the other at the East Plaza. The West Plaza is where the cafes, bike paths, handicapped-accessible paths and elevator will be placed; the public gardens will be adjacent to the plaza. The East Plaza will have viewing areas, sculptures, parking areas, and access for emergency vehicles and buses. The footbridge, meandering along the riverfront beneath a cool canopy of treetops, will connect the two plazas to each other.
With the completion of this beautiful new park in the heart of downtown, Greenville's quality of life will take a giant leap forward by taking a step back to a simpler time.