Toledo, Ohio's first "metropark' in downtown Toledo is being built on the banks of the Maumee River, and the site of a former rail yard.

Construction is underway on the first downtown metropark in Toledo, Ohio. The $3.7 million, 28-acre park on the Maumee River was master planned and designed by SmithGroupJJR.

Located on a former rail yard site, Middlegrounds Metropark will stretch for about a half-mile from the Anthony Wayne Bridge to a Norfolk Southern rail yard. Transforming the brownfield into a riverfront park is the ecological mission of Metroparks of the Toledo Area https://tinyurl.com/37t27fm. The park, slated to open in fall 2016, will reconnect residents to the Maumee River waterfront and its heritage, while expanded recreational opportunities.

"The new park will serve nearby neighborhoods and downtown with a safe and natural destination with sweeping views of Toledo," explained Dave Zenk, deputy director of Toledo Metroparks. "It will also be a catalyst for the redevelopment of this part of town, which has historically been underutilized."

SmithGroupJJR designers are focused on the park's ecology and the Maumee River, a river formed at Fort Wayne, Ind., that flows northeast for 137 miles before emptying into Lake Erie. The river presented the design team with the opportunity to concentrate on riverbank restoration, riparian wetland and woodland creation.

"The ecology was an integral part of the design, as was recreational access," explained Emily McKinnon, PE, LEED AP, the project manager for SmithGroupJJR. Runoff from the impervious surfaces, including the Anthony Wayne Bridge passing over the site, will be collected and passed through a "treatment train" that filters, infiltrates and stores rainwater before releasing it into the Maumee River.

Middlegrounds Metropark will also feature a fenced dog park, a 2,500-sq. ft. covered pavilion with restrooms, walking trails, canoe and kayak launch inlet, river and wetland overlooks, woods, meadows, natural areas and event and picnic lawns.

Joining SmithGroupJJR in the design of the park was Tetra Tech, Toledo, which provided water, storm and sanitary sewer and electrical engineering services. The contractor is Mark Haynes Construction, Inc., Norwalk, Ohio.

SmithGroupJJR (www.smithgroupjjr.com), a leader in sustainable design (368 LEED professionals and 128 LEED certified projects), ranks as the 7th largest architectural and engineering firm, employing 800 multidisciplinary professionals. The work of the firms landscape architects has been featured in LASN a number of times, including "Reviving Detroit's Riverfront - Milliken G. State Park and Harbor, Lowland Park" (LASN March 2015) www.landscapearchitect.com/research/article.php/20363, and "Kent State University Risman Plaza + Student Green" (June 2014) www.landscapearchitect.com/research/article.php/19295.