Last March, crews drained part of the Barren River under the College Street Pedestrian Bridge so they could dig a boat ramp. That ramp is the centerpiece of what the City of Bowling Green opens next Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 3 p.m. The ribbon cutting for Riverfront Park's first phase and the groundbreaking for its second will happen together.
The timing tells you what kind of park this will be for its first year. The part opening now is built around the river: a ramp, a plaza and somewhere to sit near the water. The play features, the part shown in most renderings, start construction at that same ceremony. If you know which half you're walking into, the first visit is easier to plan.
One Hour, Two Ceremonies
The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce lists the event for Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 3 to 4 p.m. at BG Riverfront Park. Brent Childers, the city's director of Neighborhood and Community Services, invited the public at the Sept. 15 Board of Commissioners meeting. As the WKU Herald reported, he told commissioners, "We are at the cusp of really making this park a reality for the community."
The date moved. Over the summer, the city was aiming to finish phase one around Labor Day. In August, Childers told the Bowling Green Daily News, "We got a little behind on a few things, but I think we're pretty well on schedule." The same report said phase one would open to visitors once the work was done and the city cut the ribbon. That ribbon gets cut on Oct. 28.
What Phase One Puts at the Water's Edge
According to WBKO's July report, phase one includes:
- A new boat ramp into the Barren River
- A plaza and seating area
- Swing benches
- A small performance lawn
- A rock garden
The Daily News added picnic areas, event space and a temporary parking lot. In February, WBKO described a kayak launch alongside the ramp. The city's construction page lists tree, shrub, meadow and turf plantings, plus benches, tables, trash receptacles and bike racks.
That list has no playground on it. Phase one gives you a way onto the river and a pleasant place to sit next to it, which makes it a good stop for a walk, a picnic or putting in a boat. A family hoping for slides will need to wait for phase two.
The Ramp Matters Beyond Recreation
The boat ramp sits under the pedestrian bridge, and it does two jobs. WNKY reported that Bowling Green firefighters will get quicker access to the water from it, instead of driving out to Boatlanding Road.
Childers described the recreational side to the station: "It creates an opportunity for people to use the river recreationally, for boaters and enthusiasts to put in safely and accessibly, to get into the river and have that access here in downtown Bowling Green."
This ramp sits next to the College Street Pedestrian Bridge, which the city's project page describes as the park's link to Mitch McConnell Park on the other side. The city lists that park's Riverwalk at 426 East Riverview Drive. The city's parks pages don't list hours, launch rules, fees or parking capacity for the new ramp yet. Look for those details on the city's Riverfront Park site and at the ceremony before you load up a kayak.
Where the Money Came From
The Daily News reported that Scott & Murphy's winning bid for phase one was $4,305,769. Other funding includes a $750,000 National Park Service grant the city won in 2020 and a $1.5 million city match. The master plan went to city officials in January 2024, and construction started in December.
Childers has a longer view. "This is a project we've been working on for a decade to get to this point," he told WBKO. Phase one also put in the sidewalks and parking areas that the next phase will build from, according to the city's construction page.
What the Groundbreaking Starts
Phase two is where the playground comes in. "Phase 2 is really where the play comes into the park," Childers told WBKO in February, when the city released renderings of a play area themed around Bowling Green's caves and rivers. The Daily News described the plan:
"The play area consists of a large, flower-shaped area. Nearby is a 'plinth,' consisting of two levels that feature slides and other play areas. The whole playground is designed to have a cave theme, with cave formation features dotting the area."
The play area will cover about one acre at the back of the park's main 71-acre lot. The February renderings also showed a performance lawn, a food truck gathering area and an observation mound. Childers told WBKO in July that phase one will stay open to the public while phase two is built. That means the plaza and the ramp will sit next to an active construction site while the playground goes up.
The Full Sequence, Phase by Phase
| Phase | What it adds | Latest reported timing |
|---|---|---|
| One | Boat ramp and kayak launch, plaza, swing benches, small performance lawn, rock garden, picnic areas, temporary parking | Ribbon cutting Oct. 28, 2026 |
| Two | Cave-and-river-themed play area of about one acre, performance lawn, food truck area, observation mound | Groundbreaking Oct. 28, 2026; summer 2027 completion targeted in February 2026 |
| Three | Whitewater park in the Barren River | Completion anticipated in 2029 or 2030 |
| Four | Added to the design contract in September 2026 | Construction could begin in 2027 or 2028 |
Phase three is the biggest swing. On Sept. 15, commissioners amended the city's contract with design firm MKSK to authorize the rest of the whitewater phase's design and construction, after earlier approving only 30 percent of its design. Childers said that phase is funded by a National Park Service Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant plus a city match. He set the goal of finishing all four phases within about four years. In February, he told WBKO that the nearest whitewater park is four hours away. WBKO's July report also mentioned future development across River Street.
The city's long-range description goes further. It describes walking and jogging loops through meadows, woods and the riverbank, plus a sculpted bouldering wall, interactive water features and a canopy walk raised into the trees. The city labels these as proposed, so none of them belongs on a weekend plan yet.
Planning a First Visit Around What's Built
That sequence helps when deciding when to go. The Oct. 28 afternoon is the first official look at the park and the start of the playground's construction. After that, phase one works best for anyone who wants to be on or beside the Barren River close to downtown. Bring a kayak once launch details are posted, pack a picnic for the tables, or walk over the College Street Pedestrian Bridge from the Mitch McConnell Park side. For families with young children, the cave-themed play area comes in phase two, which the city targeted for summer 2027 when it released the renderings in February.
The ceremony runs one hour, from 3 to 4 p.m. on a Wednesday, so plan the afternoon around it if you want to see the ribbon cut and the first shovels go in.
At Jetton Real Estate, we follow projects like Riverfront Park because they change everyday life downtown, from where you put in a kayak to where you'll take the grandkids in 2027. If you'd like to talk through what the riverfront plans mean for a home near downtown Bowling Green, Contact Us. We're always glad to share what we're hearing.
