Sunday, January 18, 2015
By Nektarios Kasamias
This past summer, I visited Denver. The city inspired me with its developed downtown, bustling neighborhoods and modern infrastructure. But I was most impressed when I toured one of Denver’s many parks.
I visited Confluence Park on the edge of Downtown Denver. It’s a riverfront park at the intersection of the South Platte River and a small stream known as Cherry Creek.The park was simple; it had a small beach, a large grassy area, a small patio with tables and chairs, and most noticeably, several biking and walking trails that were constantly in use.
The park’s river was comparable in size to the Mahoning River; actually, the river was slightly smaller than the Mahoning. But this small river gave way to a beautiful riverfront park where families and bikers enjoyed the outdoors, and where tourists, like me, stood in the shadow of the Denver skyline.
Pittsburgh
A more familiar park is Point State Park in Pittsburgh. Point State Park is much larger than Confluence Park in Denver and much different in design, but it has the same effect. Both Confluence Park and Point State Park beautifully blend in with the downtown and make Denver and Pittsburgh enjoyable and livable cities. And as someone who has grown up in Youngstown, I can say that visiting cities as developed as Denver and Pittsburgh was quite a culture shock. These cities have burgeoning business districts, modern skyscrapers, downtown street malls, and lively cultural districts.
Realistically, Youngstown isn’t on track to look like either of these cities anytime soon, for a number of reasons. But it is undeniable that Youngstown is experiencing growth. And I personally believe that a riverfront park on the shores of the Mahoning would be a positive, realistic step in aiding in the growth of the Yo.
I know that Youngstown already hosts the magnificent Mill Creek MetroParks system. But currently, the downtown and Mill Creek Park feel disconnected. It is hard to associate the park with Youngstown when no trace of it can be seen in the city’s epicenter downtown.
My proposal is a riverfront park on the Mahoning River at the former 10.4-acre Wean United site, which was recently donated to the city of Youngstown. The park could have walking and biking trails, a grassy area for picnics and relaxation, a promenade along the river and a patio with chairs and tables where people could eat.
The biking trails and greenery could connect with both the MetroParks and downtown, with the biking trails reaching as far as the university. Maybe it could include a small dog park. The park would increase tourism, help clean up the city’s blighted riverfront and make Youngstown more enjoyable and more livable.
Suburbs
Currently, the city of Youngstown is trying to market itself as a livable city in an attempt to bring people back to live, work and play. When I discuss downtown Youngstown with people from the suburbs, they see it as a place of decay and death, a place with no foreseeable future. A downtown park would add life to Youngstown and help it overcome its image as polluted industrial wasteland. With some locally commissioned public art, the park could even become a landmark of the city; a helpful tool in promoting tourism and Youngstown’s image as a whole. Adding a green space, where people can bike, walk, picnic, and just unwind after visits to the downtown would make the city more attractive to locals and tourists alike.
The Mahoning River isn’t exactly a pristine oasis. The polluted river is a painful reminder of what once was. But we can bring the river back to glory. Some want an outdoor amphitheater at the site of the Wean Building, where I proposed the park. But would a big project like an amphitheater really be in the city’s best interests? Look at the Covelli Centre, which, until recent years, was losing the city money. I urge our city and community leaders to invest in nature. A riverfront park, connected to Mill Creek MetroParks and the downtown would benefit the city for generations to come.
Nektarios Kasamias is a junior at Boardman High School.