Owensboro officials are exploring a long-term plan to upgrade English Park along the City’s riverfront, with potential improvements that could include new recreational amenities, public gathering spaces, and designated areas for food trucks.
Owensboro Parks and Recreation Director Amanda Rogers recently said the City has been quietly working on concepts for the roughly 16.5-acre park for several years, gathering public input and studying how the space could be improved.
“The City’s always had a desire to upgrade the riverfront,” Rogers said. “We did public meetings, met with neighborhood alliance groups and gathered input, and we also took into consideration the (parks department) master plan that was completed in 2024 and looked at what amenities the community desired.”
The park presents some limitations because a significant portion of the property slopes down to the Ohio River, which restricts certain types of development. Still, Rogers said the department believes the area holds strong potential for new features that could draw more visitors.
City officials are currently developing a preliminary plan and exploring how the project could be carried out in phases.
“It will definitely be a multi-phase approach once we get started,” Rogers said. “Right now we’re developing potential costs and looking at how we could phase that out.”
While no final decisions have been made, Rogers said some potential improvements being discussed include removing aging infrastructure, such as the park’s deteriorating concrete bleachers, and demolishing outdated structures that are no longer in use.
The concept also includes new recreational and general-use amenities.
“One of the really unique things we’re looking at adding is a playground that’s kind of built into the side of the hill,” Rogers said. “It’s something that we’re seeing in a lot of areas across the country that we don’t have here in our park system.”
Another idea under consideration is a designated space for food trucks that could be used for scheduled programming during certain days or times.
“It would be a program space with availability for use,” Rogers said. “Everybody would know there are food trucks from ‘this time to this time’ at lunchtime in English Park, or maybe in the afternoon or evening on a certain day of the week.”
Rogers said the space could also serve as a venue for community gatherings and special events, helping relieve scheduling pressure at nearby Smothers Park, which often receives multiple requests for the same dates.
“Smothers is always a super busy location,” Rogers said. “There are multiple times we have requests for the same dates that we can’t honor at that location, so hopefully this will assist in providing that additional spot.”
The concept for improving English Park aligns with the City’s broader riverfront vision, which has long aimed to create a continuous corridor of public spaces and attractions along the Ohio River.
“That park location and improvements to that park were all part of the discussion when we developed the plan for Smothers,” Rogers said. “It’s always been the hope to get development all the way along the riverfront.”
The proposal is still in the early stages and must first be reviewed internally before being presented publicly.
Rogers said she plans to present a more detailed outline to City Manager Nate Pagan in the coming months. If City leadership supports the concept, it would likely be presented to the Owensboro Board of Commissioners and shared with the public for additional feedback.
“We’ve already had a lot of public input that went into developing the plan,” Rogers said. “But generally we want to go back out there with that plan and give people an opportunity to provide any additional input.”
Rogers said she hopes a preliminary plan could be ready for public discussion within the next two or three months.
“I’m hoping April or May before I’m standing at the podium at a commission meeting talking about where we’re at with English Park,” she said.
