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The basics of the Festival Park project in Newport
What to know about the Festival Park revamp: Goodbye asphalt, hello more trees and greenspace
A long-discussed project in Newport is one step closer to becoming reality.
In early February, the Newport City Commission voted to approve an $8.5 million design-build agreement to revamp the city’s Festival Park, wedged between the Ohio River and Newport on the Levee.
In its current state, the park is more of an empty asphalt lot and lacks greenspace, as well as other traditional park features. Just like its name suggests, the park primarily serves as a space where the city hosts a number of different festivals, most notably Glier’s Goettafest and Italianfest during the summer.
Aside from the festival use, however, Newport municipal specialist Josh Tunning said the park is “pretty dead in terms of community use.”
After years of discussion and planning, the project cleared a key hurdle with the city commission’s approval and according to Newport municipal specialist Josh Tunning, it’s possible construction could get underway as soon as late summer or early fall 2026.
“I finally think we got the momentum and the team to see (the project) through on turning this into an actual park filled with trees, greenspace, seating, not only just to elevate the festivals and improve them, but to make it a nice, welcoming, usable space every day of the year,” Tunning said.
The funds for this project came from $5 million in bonds the city set aside several years ago and from a $3.5 million grant from the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments that is designated solely for building multi-use pathways. Eventually, the pathway will be connected to the Riverfront Commons, another ambitious project that will connect Northern Kentucky river communities.
Playground, splash pad, kayak access coming to the park
Tunning said the No. 1 request from the community was more greenspace, and that’s exactly what they’ll get with this project. This includes adding more grassy areas and planting more trees.
Other basic amenities will also be added, including:
Tunning said designers are also mulling installing a splash pad and adding access to the Ohio River for kayaks and other watercraft.
Lastly, the project plan includes adding a retaining wall, which Tunning said will pick up “significant extra space” for the community that’s currently not usable.
“We’re really excited,” Tunning said. “We think it’s going to be a park that kids are going to love to come down to and play at, parents want to be down there with their kids and also just young professionals coming down and just enjoying the day, going for a run … Our seniors getting out and about.”
The city aims for Festival Park to complement its neighboring General James Taylor Park to the west, which is also in line for a major revamp of its own.
If all goes as planned, when will Festival Park project be complete?
Before the project breaks ground, Tunning said the city needs to finalize the project’s design, create the final engineering construction documents and apply for all the proper permits, which all could take four to six months. This means the goal is to begin construction toward the end of 2026.
Regardless, Tunning said city officials feel “incredibly confident” the project will move forward smoothly and by the end of 2027, once renovation is complete, the entire riverfront will be “the region’s next top destination for greenspace, parks and recreation.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Festival Park project to spruce up Newport’s riverfront | Going Up
Reporting by Aaron Valdez, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
