Aspinwall Riverfront Park will receive a $5,000 prize for its work to restore the area’s lackluster waterfront.
The park is a winner of the 2019 Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards, presented by Dominion Energy and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.
It is among five groups chosen for a commitment to environmental stewardship. Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on May 22 at The Westin Pittsburgh, downtown.
Other recipients include Lucas DeGroote, the rector for Powdermill Nature Reserve in Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps in Harrisburg.
Park officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Since its inception in 2011, the 10-acre park sandwiched between Freeport Road and the Allegheny River has transformed into a destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
A former marina was repurposed as the park’s Welcome Center, a dock with public fishing access was built in 2018 and an amphitheater is a hub for community theater.
Venture Outdoors operates a kayak rental and there are walking trails through abundant native flower gardens for people to peruse.
A small off-leash dog park was opened late last year, and the park partners with the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania to offer free public classes on native birds.
