Cincinnati's riverfront efforts continue to garner national and international attention, picking up two more awards over the past month.

On June 28, the International Parking Institute honored the Central Riverfront Garage with its Award of Excellence for having the best design of a parking facility with more than 800 spaces.

The two-level garage was recognized for serving local parking needs while supporting economic development through its support of mixed-use project and Smale Riverfront Park.

Many elements went into maximizing public safety in the 5,500-space structure, including a police substation, passive security system, ample lighting, glass-enclosed stairways, and dedicated pedestrian walkways.

"I am extremely proud of what our team has been able to accomplish," project manager John Deatrick said in a prepared release. "This project was designed for durability, longevity, low maintenance, high peak capacity, user-friendliness and future expansion – we accomplished all that and more."

The project team includes THP Limited Inc., Messer Construction, Heapy Engineering, GBBN Architects, and DNK Architects.


Smale Riverfront Park

The Cincinnati Park Board has been selected to receive the National Facility/Park Design Award by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) for Smale Riverfront Park.

The award recognizes the park's unique and innovative design and the inclusiveness of its design process.

"Since its Grand Opening in May, 2012, Smale Riverfront Park has attracted thousands of visitors," said Willie Carden, Jr., director of Cincinnati Parks. "The work of our outstanding team ensured that Smale Riverfront Park would exceed all expectations in terms of use and popularity—and it has. The Park Board will accept this award on behalf of the citizens of Cincinnati who have long deserved this tremendous rebirth of their historic riverfront."

The Cincinnati Park Board will officially accept the award at the NRPA's National Congress & Exposition in Houston on October 9.

The Cincinnati Central Riverfront Urban Design Master Plan, which included planning for both The Banks and Smale Riverfront Park, was awarded the American Planning Association's National Planning Excellence Award for Implementation in January.

Previous reading on BC:
New Cincinnati-Covington ped connector 'a big deal' (6/7/13)
Duke Energy Garden newest Smale feature (5/14/13)
Bidding open for street improvements at The Banks (3/25/13)
Video: Smale Riverfront Park to more than double in size this May (3/18/13)
Cincinnati riverfront plan wins national award (1/11/13)