Danville residents and Averett University students will have another new location to visit downtown. The Riverfront Park, located on Memorial Drive, is targeting their opening in late 2024. Director of Parks and Recreation, Bill Sgrinia has worked hard since 2014 to make this new landmark a reality.

There is a lot of excitement around town. However, some need to familiarize themselves with everything The Riverfront Park will bring to Danville. So, that raises questions surrounding what students and residents should expect to see when the Riverfront Park construction is completed.

“There is a lot of seating areas, sidewalks, gardens, a lot of landscape space,” Sgrinia said. “It should be an urban park with fantastic views and access to the river.”

Residents who enjoy nature will surely be fans of the Riverfront Park. Fun in or out of the water will be on full display, with water features for visitors.

“I think one of the cool things about it is the water feature up front. While it is a spray ground that you can get in, it’s also a spray ground that we can choreograph to music,” Sgrinia said. “Or at night so you get done having dinner downtown at night, you can walk over the fountain is going.”  

Residents can also expect a place for the children. Having a family area at the Riverfront Park for the kids to have fun and explore is essential for Sgrinia and everyone involved. This includes building a massive landmark that will be showcased in the park. 

“The playground we are building is super cool; one of the features is a big 40-foot otter that kids can climb in and out of,” Sgrinia said. “It should have a really cool family area but be passive and have nice places to sit and relax.” 

The city of Danville is producing a lot of new locations to visit. The Riverfront Park is another piece that Sgrinia looks to place into a puzzle of excitement for students and residents. 

“The Riverfront Park is big, but it’s one piece to the puzzle. The next big thing that we’re working on right now that ties this together is the development of a white-water channel,” Sgrinia said. “That goes in front of the white mill, and we will create a channel to come down to the edge of the park, and we will be able to control the water levels. It will have rapids in it. The Riverfront Park is going on now. It’s super cool, but when we tie it in with the white-water channel in the future, it’s going to be an amazing space to come to.”