Park Projects
Park Projects
Wonderful things are happening at Riverview Park.
Friends of Riverview Park is a coalition of North Side neighbors dedicated to supporting positive change within the park. Here are some of the projects we are working on that will help make Riverview Park more accessible, sustainable, and beautiful.
Grand Avenue/Kilbuck Valley Project
The City of Pittsburgh has committed to relocating the current Department of Public Works’ (DPW) Division 1 Depot that exists along Grand Avenue in Riverview Park. Given the future relocation of this building, FOR Park has initiated a community process where park stakeholders re-envision a new plan for what Grand Avenue entrance will look like.
On Monday, March 2, the first of four planned community engagement meetings took place at Providence Connections. Representatives from both IKM and Civil & Environmental Consultants (CEC) reviewed the history of the current storage depot site. Through a visioning exercise, attendees shared their thoughts on the new entrance. Nearly 55 Northside residents attended the meeting.
Davis Avenue Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge
At the end of 2019, the City of Pittsburgh announced that design work for the new Davis Avenue pedestrian/bicycle bridge will begin through a $200,000 grant from the state’s Gaming Economic Development Fund. The City demolished the original Davis Avenue bridge in 2009 due to structural deficiencies beyond repair. The bridge was a major link between Brighton Heights, Riverview Park, and the Observatory Hill neighborhood.
Planning will begin in 2020 and construction may start as early as 2022. Community meetings will be scheduled throughout the design process
Maridale Entrance Reconstruction & Stormwater Project
FOR Park is currently working with the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) on stormwater improvements in Riverview Park. This project will see the installation of green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens and tree plantings in the park to help capture rainwater runoff and reduce park flooding, erosion, and combined sewer overflows to the Ohio River. More information on phase one and phase two of the project can be found on the PWSA website.
Snyder's Point Meadow
Friends of Riverview Park is proposing the creation of native plant meadows within parts of the existing fields and open areas that make up Snyder’s Point in Riverview Park. The meadows will feature an assortment of native perennial flowering plants and grasses that will provide wildlife habitat as well as be visually pleasing. We see the project as offering numerous benefits, including the enhancement of an already frequented destination, the provision of opportunities to engage volunteers and the creation of habitat for animals (particularly pollinating insects).
Sustainable Trail Plan
The Friends of Riverview Park has identified the need to improve the park trail system
as a key priority for improvement. The trails suffer from extreme erosion and landslides in multiple locations, creating a highly negative impact on the visitor’s experience, while also degrading the park’s ecology and wildlife habitat. The City has approved FORP’s plan for trail and drainage improvements, maintenance and community connections that will make Riverview Park’s trail system more sustainable, accessible and enjoyable.