If you build it, they will come.
For the sprayground, dog park, Friday Flow R&B shows, Date Night Movies, storytelling, kickball "” just for starters.
Olympic champion Kerri Walsh (and 1,000 tons
of sand) at the Association of Volleyball Professionals Cincinnati Open
was a kill. And the fantastic collaboration by the Cincinnati Pops, May
Festival Chorus, the Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet brought it
all home.
The renovated and expanded Washington Park
in Over-the-Rhine has struck a chord with local residents and visitors
alike since its ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 6.
The $48 million project ($26.2 million of
public funding and $21.8 or private money) has turned the 8-acre site
into a slice of urban green between Race and Elm streets from 12th
Street on the south to 14th Street on the north.
It's a destination and an oasis.
The park has hosted other big events "” a
concert by local indie rock heroes Over the Rhine, spotlight shows of
the MidPoint Music Festival and the OTR Community Festival. And some not
quite as big "” salsa dancing and City Flea market among them.
As impressive as the park is, what might be
most remarkable are the changes in the neighborhood around it. Bounded
by School for Creative and Performing Arts on the south and Music Hall
on the west, many of the buildings on Race and 14th streets have been
rehabbed or are in the process.
Washington Park has earned positive marks in
the national press and will serve as a catalyst for changes throughout
the surrounding area. People might disagree over the politics of the
process, but it's hard to argue with the results.