In 2006, Mercy Hospital, an anchor institution and major employer in the rust belt city of Hamilton, Ohio, left town. Faced with a Brownfield site in the heart of downtown, the City was able to reinvent the space as Hamilton’s premier park and community center. In 2013, construction on RiversEdge Amphitheater and Overlook was completed, creating an outdoor concert venue that attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. Marcum Park, which expanded and completed RiversEdge, was created through a generous donation from the Marcum family and opened in 2017. The space hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including the Big River Get Down, the Free Summer Concert Series, the Hamilton Flea, the Badin Festival, the Fourth of July Celebration, and many others. Many of these events are managed by volunteers and, combined, bring tens of thousands of people to downtown Hamilton that would otherwise not visit our community.
In 2018, the American Planning Association (APA) named RiversEdge at Marcum Park in Hamilton, Ohio, as one of five Great Public Spaces on APA’s annual Great Places in America list. APA’s Great Places in America program recognizes the streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces in the United States demonstrating exceptional character, quality, and planning—attributes that enrich communities, facilitate economic growth, and inspire others around the country.
According to Cynthia Bowen, FAICP, President of APA, “Public spaces serve a number of functions within a community, from gathering places to recreational venues, and to satisfy these varied community needs requires thoughtful collaboration and planning. Hamilton’s RiversEdge is a national example of how public spaces effectively create a sense of place that creates access and opportunity for all.”
