After Jack Bushek sent me his new vision for Salem's old Boise Cascade property, which became a blog post, last Thursday I took a sunset walk in the south end of Riverfront Park.
I wanted to imagine what Riverfront Park could be like if the land west of the railroad tracks was added on to the park, and if the Pringle Creek banks were remade into a cool mixed use area.
Also, how the Park would have been changed (for the worse) if Mountain West Investment's original development plan for the Boise Cascade property hadn't fallen through.
Here's the photos I took, plus commentary.
A train went by as I began my walk from the Carousel parking lot, which was surprisingly busy at 7:30 pm on a Thursday evening. Nice timing. Makes it easy to see how much land would be added to Riverfront Park if the Boise Cascade acreage west of the tracks became part of the Park. It's mostly flat and covered in asphalt or grass.
Walking toward the Eco-Earth Globe, I was thankful that the planned multi-story apartments wouldn't be built almost up to the current Riverfront Park boundary. They would have ruined the ambience of this end of the Park.
Imagine a wall of looming apartments blocking out the sky to the east of the Eco-Earth Globe. Not a good plan for Salem's Riverfront Park treasure.
This is Pringle Creek, from the Eco-Earth overlook by the Willamette River slough. It'd be great to have a path leading from Riverfront Park up the banks of Pringle Creek. The shell of the last remaining Boise Cascade building is in the background. Ah, easy to imagine creekside restaurants and brew pubs with attractive views.
The slough, near sunset, with Pringle Creek in the foreground.
Tear down that fence! Build a bridge over Pringle Creek with walkways on both sides. Fashion a mixed-use development on the west side of the railroad tracks with a big Wow! factor.
This is a view of Pringle Creek as it heads through the old Boise Cascade property. A private railroad underpass is on the right side of the creek.
Again, make the land on the river side of the tracks part of Riverfront Park. On the other side of the elevated tracks would be the cool mixed use private development, restaurants and other eateries/drinkeries on street level, with condos/apartments on upper floors.
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