Cliffside Park Project

Cliffside Park Re-Awakening Gets Underway

First Capital Project Arising Out of Greenprint for the Hill

Cliffside Park in the Hill District has a spectacular river view that has long been masked by overgrowth. The park isn’t universally accessible, is riddled with broken pavement and outdated furnishings, and has significant drainage problems. Thanks to years of effort from many residents and community groups, a plan to re-awaken Cliffside Park has been developed. The park’s transformation is expected to feature an entry trellis, accessible pathways, play areas for two different age levels, an overlook area, a picnic area, art elements, and a half-court for basketball.

The project is being funded by a Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant awarded to the Parks Conservancy, with major additional funding from the Eden Hall Foundation, the Ryan Memorial Foundation, McAuley Ministries, an anonymous donor, and from City of Pittsburgh Community Development Block Grants. Significant individual gifts totaling over $67,000 also contributed to the fundraising success of the project.

The Find the Rivers! Greenprint plan was completed in 2009 by a partnership of Hill House Association, the Hill District Consensus Group, Community Partners Institute, and the Parks Conservancy. The plan, developed by Walter Hood of Hood Design Studio with the Pittsburgh-based Studio for Spatial Practice, incorporates successful landscape strategies from Pittsburgh and beyond to create places on the Hill that build upon existing historical ecological and cultural assets. The Greenprint plan effort was funded in large part by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP) and the Eden Hall Foundation. Additional NPP funding in 2011 allowed significant progress to be made in re-establishing the dramatic Cliffside Park view.  

For more information about this project, visit www.findtherivers.net.