http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-14/1218686722216730.xml&coll=5

My main concern with this park system is that there is very little opportunity for “eyes” on the park beyond those inside the park. The space the park will inhabit is currently a “no-man’s land” of parking lots, and lost, underutilized, uninhabited space. The proposal replaced pavement with grass and a complex web of walkways, bridges, plantings etc. But fundamentally, the functional use of the space will be the same: there is none.

The comparison with the San Antonio Riverwalk really is upsetting. That is such a different type of park, river, and city. Developing a commercial core around a river takes years of slow development, and it has yielded an amazing, unique urban fabric in San Antonio. I would love for the same thing to happen in Trenton, but the plans as they are now show a primarily “naturalistic” park bounded by lost space. Its like comparing an apples to tacos.

Another small item: The War Memorial cries for a formal space fronting it. I am really surprised that the great lawn and water feature are not oriented in such a way that complements the monumentality of that great Trenton treasure. Imagine a miniature reflecting pool. A strong pedestrian axis towards the flags. It seems like a great opportunity which is being missed.

Thanks for starting some discussion about the park, to date I haven’t seen anyone discuss this publicly before…

Nice post.

I’m with you on developing the parking lots and you’re right on about the “pride” benefit.

A housing bounty for the Trent Square area (like the naming suggestion?) would be a big boon.

Phases I and II seem affordable and can probably be justified on grounds of statewide civic pride alone (the way the renovated Statehouse makes you feel proud when you’re inside it, but I agree that with so much land area so far removed from ratables (or even commercial establishments), there’s minimal economic-development justification.

Now, Dan, take your housing bounty concept (so much a nicer word than “bribery”) and apply it to redeveloping the “South Assunpink” parking-lot moonscape (yes, I know it used to be a vital neighborhood) as a mixed-income residential district (hmm…maybe on flood stilts), then we’d be talking economic impact and a reason to invest further in the Riverfront Park, Confluence Gardens, Route 29 boulevard, blah blah blah.

IMHO, that entire area around Trent House that hugs the river is absolutely key to bridging Mill Hill to the waterfront, and then working toward blasting across the Route 1 barrier to the neighborhoods on the other side, which in turn link to other semi-functional clusters like the ballpark, the Roebling complex, and Chambersburg. Given Trenton’s uniquely awful geometry, connectivity between clusters of economic activity is more important than perfection at the Statehouse waterfront, especially if as you say the wallet runs dry before it’s all done.