River park taking form

FLORENCE -- Eight cement columns built in a circle stand out from the yards of dirt spread throughout an area that is taking shape to become River Heritage Park.

The eight columns will become part of the park's interactive fountain, which Florence City Planner Melissa Bailey called "the crown jewel of that park."

Typically, fountains are hands-off; interactive ones, however, invite aquatic types to splash around in the water.

"It's actually a play-in fountain," Bailey said, "It's one of those features that we don't have in this area."

Bench seating will be built around the fountain's edge.

Water jets will spray at different intervals and can even be set to lights and music, Bailey said.

In Tennessee, Coolidge Park in Chattanooga and the World's Fair Park in Knoxville have interactive fountains.

Beyond the fountain, the park will include "a fabulous overlook of Wilson Dam," said David Craig, landscape architect and project manager with Ross/ Fowler, an architectural firm from Knoxville that designed the River Heritage Park.

"The entire conference center/hotel/park complex will be a real draw for the entire region," Craig said.

Construction started last fall on River Heritage Park, a $6.2 million project, which will become the eastern anchor of the Tennessee Riverwalk, Bailey said.

Construction crews arrived in mid-October and have worked as weather allows.

"The weather's got us held up now," said Kevin Weeks, project superintendent. The cold can stall construction, but "rain pretty much shuts things down," he said.

So far, Weeks estimated the site will require 20,000 tons of dirt to elevate it six to eight feet, a job that he estimated at 60 percent done.

Weeks hopes work will pick up once winter passes, with 20 workers at the site,

Even in the freezing temperatures Thursday, Weeks estimated that six to eight workers from two subcontracting companies were on site.

The park will include a "meadow-style" amphitheater, set in a naturally occurring bowl-shaped recess, a pavilion and a festival lawn for recreation.

"It's going to be a tremendous asset to our city and our parks," said Mayor Bobby Irons. He said the project was on schedule and within budget.

River-themed playground equipment will include a replica of a riverboat. Details on the playground equipment are still being finalized.

"We wanted to make sure the theme paid homage to the Tennessee River and its heritage," Bailey said.

Alison Stanfield, assistant director for Lauderdale/ Florence Tourism agreed that the park would be important for visitors who want to experience the Tennessee River.

The River Heritage Park is close to the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa and Conference Center and the Renaissance Tower, which houses the visitors' center.

Stanfield said that approximately 60 percent of visitors ask for a place to get closer to the river.

"The trend for tourism, in this day and age, is for there to be a lot of green space," she said.

The park is expected to be completed by January 2008, Bailey said.

Staff Writer Trevor Stokes can be reached at 740-5728 or trevor.stokes@timesdaily.com.