Cincinnati Parks, Parks Foundation Celebrate Completion of Smale Park Expansion Project

Cincinnati Parks, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, and Smale Park donors celebrated the completion of the latest improvements to Smale Riverfront Park. This project finishes an important section of the signature riverfront park surrounding the Icon Music Center. The Cincinnati Parks Foundation, working with the Smale family, led the fundraising campaign essential to funding the project.

The completion of these improvements marks the final chapter of Smale Riverfront Park, fully realizing the vision for Cincinnati's award-winning riverfront park system. Delivered through a public private partnership, the work included adding planting beds, granite promenade seat walls, a sandstone and granite donor wall, and architectural cladding surrounding the Andrew J. Brady Music Center. These enhancements enrich the visitor experience, recognize the critical philanthropic support, and create an even more seamless and welcoming signature space along Cincinnati's riverfront.

ABOUT JOHN G. AND PHYLLIS W. SMALE RIVERFRONT PARK: Opened in 2012, this signature 21-acre riverfront park connects downtown Cincinnati to the Ohio River and the existing riverfront parks including Sawyer Point, Yeaman’s Cove and International Friendship Park. Smale is a scenic location to view the bustling activity along Ohio River, and a special place to hold events and celebrate as a community. The park boasts multiple water play features, giant swings, a riverwalk, interactive foot piano, a concert venue, an imaginative play area for kids, expansive pollinator gardens, and Carol Ann’s Carousel. Several historical monuments can be found, like the Black Brigade Monument and the Marian Spencer Statue. Smale is also officially designated as a level II Arboretum because of its conservation focused landscape design in an urban environment, the native plantings, critical pollinator habitat, and horticultural education opportunities it provides the city.

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