A look back at the first year of Smothers Park
By: Danny may
Photo by: Adam Paris
It stretches five city blocks and covers over 5 acres of land. It held ten thousand people at its grand opening last August. It was the source of controversy, but it has also been heralded as the crown jewel of Owensboro. It’s a sentimental spot for scores of Veterans. It also happens to be crawling with enormous bugs, frogs, butterflies and a giant bass big enough for kids to sit inside for photo-ops. Recently a painted piano found a home in one of its gazebos.
Of course I’m talking about Smothers Park, which turns one year old this month. In celebration, Owensboro Parent decided to take a look back at an eventful first year to see just how big of an impact the re-opening of Smothers Park has had on our community.
In the Beginning…
Mayor Ron Payne freely admits that there were varying degrees of mixed emotions when the idea of a multi-million dollar playground was mentioned as part of a complete overhaul and expansion of Smothers Park. If you kept up with the scathing opinions about the costly concrete trees in the “Reader’s Write” section of the newspaper or around the water-cooler at work, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. But in the year since the opening of the new Smothers Park and after the first phase of downtown redevelopment was completed, Mayor Payne says his office “has heard nothing but praise for what we have accomplished.”
I’ll admit I was critical of the price tag of those concrete trees when I heard about them too, but the first time I actually saw them it made sense. They’re not just pointless decorations; they are the structural support that holds the entire three-level playground together. And the mixed emotions Owensboro citizens may have once felt have faded away. People are now talking about downtown Owensboro like never before. That playground has become a destination in and of itself, not to mention the centerpiece to the entire downtown revitalization project.
Something for Everyone
Many people have found that it’s easy to spend hours on a visit to Smothers Park. According to Public Events Director Tim Ross, that was the idea from the beginning. “The design for the space down here at Smothers Park is really meant to have something for everyone. There are amenities for all ages. Parents and kids especially love the playground. Everyone can enjoy the viewing fountains, the swings, and the overlook. And many of our older generation love the Shelton Memorial, which actually gets a tremendous amount of visitors because it’s such a beautiful monument and it gives such great respect to our POWs, MIAs, and veterans.”
Attendance
As far as attendance and usage at the park, Ross says “We’ve been very pleased! People enjoy this space, and it keeps them coming back down here. The first year has been absolutely amazing. It’s by far exceeded our expectations, drawing visitors from all around the region.”
Although there’s no way to have an exact count for attendance, city officials estimate there were close to 10,000 people crammed into Smothers Park at the air show during the grand opening last August.
If you’ve ever made a visit downtown, you know the park has stayed plenty busy since. On any given day, by 10 or 10:30 in the morning people are already gathering at the park. With lights installed on the playground and in the fountains, the park is usually busy until it closes at 10 p.m. Even in colder months when the fountains are off, people still come out to enjoy the rest of the park and stroll along the riverfront.
For the first night of “Bluegrass on the Banks,” which coincided with ROMP, 200-300 people showed up on a weeknight to listen to live Bluegrass music in the park. On one particular Saturday in September there are three weddings and two special events scheduled on the same day in different locations throughout Smothers Park.
Word is spreading more and more throughout the region and surrounding counties. The RiverPark Center has noticed that when fieldtrip groups come from out of town they usually walk across the street to have picnics in the park and let the kids enjoy the playground. It’s easy to imagine many of those kids will eventually be coming back to show their friends and family what they experienced.
Quality of Life
Smothers Park is much more than a play space. It’s not uncommon to see people relaxing at the green spaces, walking pets, or running through the park as well, which all fit squarely into one of the goals of Owensboro’s Public Events Office: enhancing the quality of life for our community.
Another benefit of Smothers Park is how it has added to the success of charity events like the Color Blast 5K, March for Babies, Making Strides for Breast Cancer, and many others. The park makes a great starting or ending point, which adds to the excitement and increases participation in those types of events.
Having the park open this past year has also allowed Friday After Five to expand by providing more space for the street fairs and adding the “Don Moore Overlook Stage,” which gives great exposure to local bands.
Economic Impact
From a tourism standpoint, the impact of Smothers Park has been tremendous. “We used to see nobody downtown during the day,” says Sean Dysinger with the Owensboro Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. “Now there are always people walking around, popping in and out of shops and restaurants. There is a significantly noticeable increase in foot traffic downtown now. Every restaurant and shop downtown will tell you that they see the benefit. We hit a home run with that one!”
Tim Ross says Smothers Park has become a great selling point to bringing in outside events to Owensboro as well. A great example of that is the Sea Ark Invitational Catfishing Tournament, which was held on June 1. “Even though it was held at English Park,” says Ross, “When the Sea Ark tournament directors visited and saw Smothers Park it really made an impression because they knew it was something the competitors and their families would enjoy.”
But the greatest economic impact is what Smothers Park has done to entice local developers, investors, and entrepreneurs to take advantage of opportunities downtown.
The GOEDC Downtown Project Manager Joe Berry says, “Smothers Park has made a huge difference! Anytime you have a nice public space, it pays huge dividends in entrepreneurial and economic impact.”
Berry cited the Cold Stone Creamery and Cup Cakery shop that recently opened a block from Smothers as a perfect example. With Smothers Park generating such an increase in foot traffic, the owners knew their business model would work downtown. And you can bet the eateries that already were downtown (like The Crème Coffee House, Famous Bistro, and Bee Bops) are enjoying the increase as well.
It’s all part of the downtown master plan that was laid out in 2009. Since then, over $92 million has been generated in private investment downtown; from large projects like the Hampton Inn and Texas Gas relocation to smaller projects like boutiques and shops. So far, it’s all going according to plan.
“Smothers Park has made a believer out of a lot of folks,” Joe Berry explains. “It has really given our community a glimpse of what the end result of the downtown plan is going to be when it’s all finished.”
Future Expansion
From construction barricades at Veterans Boulevard and Frederica Street, you can clearly see the walls of the new convention center and hotel nearing completion. Once they’re opened, two more blocks will be added to the river walk to connect them to Smothers Park via McConnell Plaza (once it reopens). The river walk will then run continuously from the RiverPark Center through Smothers Park and all the way to the new convention center and hotel, giving foot traffic easy access to all the amenities downtown.
As Mayor Payne put it, “We have worked to make Owensboro walkable, connective, and a place where people want to be. The pieces are there, and I see our private sector continuing to be the catalyst for change not only in our downtown core, but also throughout the community.”
Joe Berry echoed that same reply: “We have a place now that people want to live. That’s our number one asset right now. Basically what it’s done is help make Owensboro more competitive with larger job markets, which will continue to draw outside companies and industries into our community.”
With more expansion on the way and room to grow, it looks like downtown truly is on an upswing. Old favorites like Friday After Five are finding new life and new events like Thursday Date Night and Downtown Cruise-Ins (on the first Saturday) keep popping up. If they are any indication, city officials are right on target.
Yes, the concrete trees are here to stay, and it looks like going out on a limb has really paid off for our city. The result is more than just a playground; it has become a lifeline, a breath of fresh air, and a vision that’s truly catching on.