Bowling Green Parks and Recreation provides update on projects affecting downtown area

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A pair of projects near the downtown Bowling Green area, one focusing on the revitalization of the splash pad at Circus Square Park and the other advancing the construction of the Riverfront Park, have made progress this week.

At Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, a bid was approved for Scotty’s Contracting to take on Phase One of the Riverfront Park project.

“While this is probably the smallest project we have in relation to the riverfront development, it might be the most important because it sets the stone to roll down the hill to the rest to come forward,” Bowling Green Parks and Recreation director Brent Belcher says.

The timeline has been shifted back a tiny bit, but the plan is to still have it done by the summer of 2026.

“Ultimately, the goal, because this is grant-funded or a big portion of this is grant-funded, there will be substantial completion by May of 2026… and that tells you the timeframe we’re looking at for that. So definitely by the summer, I think the public should see some work that’s been completed there and the first step to our vision of what that riverfront park will be,” Belcher says.

Another project BGPR is working on is the splash pad over at Circus Square Park, and while it may be decorated for the holiday season currently, crews hope in the summer and its future that it looks and operates exactly like it did when it first opened.

“End result will be we’re gonna get some variable spray, if you will… some actual water features will come from this that we’ve been missing for quite some time now… and we’re hoping, got our fingers crossed that we’ll be getting some lighting as far as this… that will be to add to the excitement at the spray ground. So it’s very fun and definitely exciting and a big deal for our downtown,” Belcher says.

He adds it’s important to bring the splash pad back to the glory of its opening back in 2008, and hopes to have it upgraded by the summer as well.

“This is a very popular feature that we have, and we know the importance of it, and that speaks to the timeline we have. One of the reasons why it came up to the board now in November is trying to make sure that we get all the award done and such that we can hopefully get it in time… Our goal is to get it here obviously before the summer hits, and that’s what we’re definitely dedicated to,” Belcher says.

News 40 will keep you updated as we learn more on these projects.