Riverfront Park & Amphitheater
Mankato, MN
Riverfront Park, the newest addition to the Mankato park system, will begin concerts during the summer of 2010. Damon Farber Associates worked collaboratively with city staff and partners from the Alltel Center to create an outdoor musical venue set to rival any in the state. Expected to accommodate over 10,000 concert goers, the park along the Minnesota River overlooks downtown Mankato from the revamped “Old Town” and is sure to provide a spectacular experience.
Envisioned as a revenue generating amenity for the city, the stage was designed to hold the some of the largest performers, and engineered to accommodate a future canopy structure from which audio and visual equipment will be hung. A double-wide loading dock accompanies the stage to insure more efficient set up and tear down of concerts. Premium seating for over 500 people is provided on indigenous Mankato-Kasota limestone directly in front of the stage. Beyond the limestone terraced seating extends a ‘Great Lawn' anticipated to provide another 10,000 people with an opportunity to place a blanket or lawn chair on the lush lawn irrigated with reclaimed water from the adjacent waste-water treatment plant.
In addition to the concert venue the parks boasts numerous sustainable design techniques that were employed to infiltrate and cleanse stormwater rather than sending it directly into the Minnesota River. A bioswale was sited in the middle of the parking lot and entry drive to accept runoff, and an infiltration basin was utilized to accept water and provide rate control near the expansive plaza. Permeable pavers are used at the lower edge of the plaza to infiltrate stormwater and recharge groundwater levels minimizing runoff and providing additional rate control. The landscape palette relied on native and well adapted plant materials to eliminate excess maintenance and insure vitality.
The city is proud to now provide improved access to the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail and canoe access to the Minnesota River. A park building provides for sheltered picnics and restroom facilities that will serve the adjacent tot lot and recreational users of the trails and river. A new limestone block surrounded overlook provides dramatic views up and down the Minnesota River, and the famous ‘Mankato Piece' sculpture was relocated to the park after losing its home downtown to redevelopment.
Damon Farber Associates was thrilled to master plan, design, and oversee the construction of this new 14 acre park that is sure to be a regional draw for summer concerts and a significant addition to the cities park system for many decades to come.