The park features views of the Rappahannock River, has an event space, and a play area
While it opened for public use last fall, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for the aptly-named Riverfront Park on Saturday, May 21 at 10:30 a.m.
Residents will be able to see the smart park and then tour the new downtown Otter Trail. In November 2021, Fredericksburg, VA Main Street began raising funds to install bronze river otters in locations around Downtown – the Otter-ly Amazing Fredericksburg Project.
Today, bronze river otters sit in locations in the city, symbolically connecting the Rappahannock River and Riverfront Park with the downtown business district. According to the project’s website, furry river animals are an indicator of an aquatic ecosystem’s health, and their presence is a sign of good water quality.
A city press release from 2020 announcing the park’s construction states the first phase of the smart part provides public Wi-Fi and park security cameras. The park could later include a digital information kiosk, a public performance stage, environmental sensors for air quality and river flooding, and possibly sensors for parking availability or crowd counts.
The park was built, in part, with a $75,000 grant from the Center for Innovative Technology.
Riverfront Park is located at 713 Sophia Street. According to the city, the park was constructed for nearly $360,000.
