LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Construction crews are hard at work putting the finishing touches on Waterfront Park's Phase IV expansion into west Louisville.
Executive Director Deborah Bilitski said they should be substantially completed the river section and plan to finish the playground by the end of the year. Waterfront Park is looking to host a grand opening in early spring.
The $50 million project sitting between 10th and 14th streets will connect the current park to the transformed 22-acres in the Portland neighborhood.
As most of the equipment is fully installed, Bilitski said the first section, Playport, is about 95% complete as crews continue planting trees, installing picnic tables, laying out a parking lot and finishing the inside of the community center.
"So we have two main themes of Playport," Bilitski said. "A river section which really tells the story on how this site is located right along the river right ahead of the Falls of the Ohio."
The playground features equipment from shipping containers and construction machines that speak to Louisville's history along the Ohio River and it's industrialization.
The community will be able to interact with chains that pull an anchor, stand on top of a shipping boat, pull ropes with buoys, slide down the back of a dump truck and brave the heights crawling through metal tubes connecting the different sections.
These structures also give great views of the river, downtown and residential homes.
Bilitski said the playground also has interactive experiences through the Kentucky Science Center that also educate children while they have fun. Educational signage that include QR codes can also be found around the park which show how the interactive experience work and the history behind it.
Education while having fun is what west Louisville-based nonprofit Neighborhood House is all about. Executive Director Jennie Jean Davidson said this park will benefit every family as Waterfront Park connects Louisvillians from all demographics.
"We're excited to bring people to the park and bring the park to people," Davidson said. "So we're hoping to be able to partner with Waterfront Park to get the word out as it gets closer to the opening."
Davidson was able to tour the park herself and praises the effort to incorporate infrastructure that speaks to the city's history while teaching kids at the same time.
Bilitski said this park will be within a 20-minute walk to about 10,000 people in west Louisville neighborhoods.
"Our mission is to connect people to the river," Bilitski said. "It's long overdue."
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