Great River Park

The Great River Park, in East Hartford, Connecticut, has become an important link in the park system developed and managed by Riverfront Recapture on both sides of the Connecticut River the Hartford area. Located entirely within the 100-year floodplain and within several critical federal, state and local regulatory jurisdictions, Great River Park runs .75 miles and connects with a park to the north and the stair tower to a major bridge over the Connecticut River to the south.

The Great River Park project included a new amphitheater nestled into the earthen flood embankment and compensating for the fill required for a new riverfront access road. The project included new roads, parking, boat ramp and ADA-compliant floats, multi-use trails, signage, lighting, planting, site furnishings and emergency call boxes. Requiring seven years to program, design, permit and construct, the project was led by Pam Shadley while a Principal with another firm. Great River Park has become a regional destination in the Hartford area, and has won several awards: a 1997 Award from the Waterfront Center, a 1998 Merit Award from the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, and a Top Honor Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects In 2000.