Chason Park

Details:

  • City of Bainbridge

  • Bainbridge, Georgia

Highlights:

  • 2025 Georgia ASLA Merit Award (General Design – Built, Over $1M)

  • Full landscape architecture and architectural services for the centennial expansion of Chason Park
  • Place-based storytelling elements intertwined between site design, details, and educational panels

Description:

TSW developed a Master Plan and construction documents for Chason Park, a historic park originally developed in 1921, that is in between historic downtown Bainbridge and the Flint River. This park is a multi-phase project that will reconnect the community to the Flint River, catalyze redevelopment near the river, and tell the story of the City's environmental, economic, and cultural relationship with the river over time. The park is located on a large bluff that connects down a grand staircase to the Flint River. The park is a place to play and learn, combining traditional park elements with interactive educational programming that focuses on the environment, history, and agriculture. This intergenerational park supports the needs of a diverse growing resident population downtown with an event lawn, splash pad, two playgrounds, shade structure, ample seating, and overlook views of the river.

The park's location at the edge of the river valley and its environmentally themed programming presented an ideal opportunity to showcase several green design elements. The park uses Low-Impact Development (LID) features like bioswales, bioretention, to convey, treat, and store stormwater on the site. Grey water is collected and reused in the park for toilet flushing and irrigation.

TSW's planning process included public input, small group interviews, a teacher-led education-focused stakeholder group, and public input sessions. TSW provided phasing and grant funding strategies and helped the City prioritize the projects into implementable segments. Phase 3 of the park recently completed construction which included splash pad, themed play areas, flex lawn, interpretive signage, and a grand staircase descending down to the Flint River.