Rossford Park Improvements

Fort Thomas, Kentucky

One of the main goals for Rossford Park was to restore the natural habitat while still providing all the park amenities the City requested and enhance the experience of the planned trail system.

Site improvements for this project included a walking trail, half-size practice ball fields, and increased parking.

One of the main goals for Rossford Park was to restore the natural habitat while still providing all the park amenities the City requested and enhance the experience of the planned trail system. To achieve this goal, a concerted effort was given to minimize grading while still providing proper drainage of the ball fields and the practice fields. The plan was conscious of protecting the hillside and restoring the natural streams located on the site and the re-forestation planned for the area. The stormwater design was also to restore the natural habitat with the implementation of rain gardens and bio-swales, which allowed for the inclusion of the detention footprint to be minimized.

Restroom and shelter buildings were given distinctive appearances and featured curved metal roofs, arched openings, brick, and split-faced masonry. Architectural design features were also continued in the wayfinding kiosk and the arbor structure. Design elements established in the Rossford Park project were used to set the design cues for future city park improvements at Tower and Highland parks. Sustainable features in the park include bio-swales and rain gardens, re-forestation, and the creation of meadowlands with indigenous plantings such as prairie grass.