India Point Park

India Point Park
Location	Fox Point, Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinates
Area	18 acres (73,000 m2)
Created	1974 (1974)
Visitors	75,000

India Point Park is a park in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island at the confluence of the Seekonk River and Providence River. The park takes its name from the maritime activity connecting Providence with the East and West Indies. The East Bay Bike Path begins at the eastern end of the park, and crosses over the Washington Bridge before heading to Watchemoket Square in East Providence and continuing on to Bristol and the Mount Hope Bridge. The park is also a part of the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail.

History

In the 1960s, declines in the area's use for shipping led to its being redeveloped as recreational open space. Local architectural historian William McKenzie Woodward noted that the construction of Interstate 195 isolated the park from the rest of the East Side, of which he believed is an effect poorly mitigated by the pedestrian walkway. Consequently, space is reserved for parking in the park. The original pedestrian bridge over I-195 was demolished for an expanded linear park bridge that now provides greater access for the greater Fox Point neighborhood. Once the George Redman Linear Park and Pedestrian Span of the Washington Bridge is complete in late summer 2014, foot traffic will be largely expanded.

RIDOT continued work on the replacement bridge, to be called the India Point Park Pedestrian Bridge, through the late fall of 2007 and winter of 2008. Slated to open in September 2007, efforts to save a large caliper tree on the Fox Point side and complications in construction pushed the opening to October 2008 - three years after the demolition of the old bridge. [1]

Linear Park Bridge & Performing Arts Amphitheater

The new linear park pedestrian bridge over Interstate 195 is six times wider than the one it replaced, and connects to East Street. It features benches, decorative lighting and landscaping of flowers, shrubs and small trees on the bridge itself, and a stair/ ramp system on the park side. The watering system was installed in the fall of 2009. The ramp leading to the linear park bridge also serves as 'on the green' seating for the amphitheater formed at the base/ shoreline of the park. Such events as July 4th performances of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra have taken place in this performing arts space.

Other amenities include the Wyndham Garden Hotel, the Marston Boathouse - Brown University and sports fields on the east end of the park.

External links

• Friends of India Point Park

• http://www.nps.gov/waro/index.htm