The City of Eugene has taken down the temporary fencing and opened the new Downtown Riverfront Park Plaza to the public.
The site, which sits south of city hall in the developing riverfront district, was built across an acre and includes grassy areas, a playground, tables and a splash pad.
The site is part of an effort to connect downtown with the nearby shores of the Willamette River. Other nearby projects include multiple market rate apartment projects, mixed-use buildings, affordable housing and more.
"Our Willamette River, we’ve turned our back from it for so long, and this is another great reason to come down and experience the natural beauty of our river and our riverfront, " said Emily Proudfoot, principal landscape architect in the city’s Parks Planning Office. "It’s what makes Eugene special,"
Among the visitors on the first morning was Austin Breault, who came from South Eugene with his wife and three children to check out the playground.
"Utilizing this space is awesome, to see the river and I love what they did with all of the wood in here too. It’s a cool space. I like it a lot," he said.
City officials will hold a grand opening for the plaza September 12-14 with music and food trucks. Another new addition to the Riverfront redevelopment, apartment building Portal at the River District, will hold its own ribbon cutting ceremony earlier that week on September 9.
