The hotly debated McEuen Park is finally open to the public and from the looks of it it will be a welcome addition to our downtown area.
The 20-acre McEuen Park upgrades feature a natural amphitheater, a new covered pavilion for group picnics and events, a donor wall, a grand plaza and waterfront promenade, scenic paved trails, new public art, a re-designed Veteran’s Memorial, an amazing interactive playground for kids of all ages, a new dog park, more user-friendly and efficient public parking, a new Front Avenue promenade with community gathering areas and an interactive splash pad with more than a dozen colorful water features.
McEuen Park, often referred to as McEuen Field and once Playfield has had a number of transformations, it was once home to a sawmill, and then, during World War II, a tract of small cottages. It even served a stint as the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. The park was acquired by the city in the early 1950's in a swap withKootenai County. The park is named for Mae McEuen because she, along with a a group of citizens banded together to preserve it as public green space. Mae was also a big supporter of youth sports.
The park’s makeover is intended to bring more families downtown, give them a reason to stay and play, and hopefully stay to eat out and shop