The River Project has been actively involved in scientific research, community engagement, design alternatives, funding, policy, legislation, and advocating for an integrated approach to this site for over two decades.

For river activists, Taylor Yard has always represented the greatest opportunity for true river restoration. The more-than-200-acre historic site just north of downtown is not only the largest undeveloped parcel on the river, but also at a strategic location where the riverbank could be naturalized, even with the rest of the channel as it is today. The site represents unparalleled potential for meaningful watershed planning to bring nature back: providing access to flowing water, shade, habitat and bio-diversity, water capture and infiltration for groundwater supply, holistic long-term flood risk reduction, carbon sequestration, educational and passive recreation opportunities for the densely populated, underserved adjacent communities. We advocate for the full 100+ acres as one seamless State Park.