At the weekend, the renovated footpaths in Esplanade Park will be opened for residents of Riga and guests of the city. Also, the seasonal operation of the two fountains on the park territory is also expected to resume.
The municipality of Riga, gradually implementing the restoration of the seven-hectare Esplanade Park, has completely replaced the surface of the pedestrian paths in three of the seven zones. In the first phase, 1,224 m2 were replaced (the path that leads through the entire park and connects Reimersa Street with Skolas Street, and the path that leads past the Academy of Arts of Latvia), in the second phase, 5,868 m2 of pavement was replaced (paths that lead from the corner of Kalpak and Brīvības boulevards fountains to the Raina monument). The works were carried out by SIA “Roadeks”.
“Esplanade is one of the city’s green areas, which is used by the most people on a daily basis, but the park has been associated with potholes and wear and tear for years. This summer, the renewed pedestrian paths will allow this park to be reborn in a new quality, predicting improvements in the future as well. Investments in the creation of a pleasant and attractive public outdoor space are investments in a Riga that is a more pleasant place to live, emphasizes Edmunds Cepurītis, chairman of the Housing and Environment Committee of the Riga City Council.
The resurfacing of paths, the improvement of the park and the restoration of greenery will continue. In order to develop functional solutions for the restoration of landscaping and greenery in the entire territory of Esplanade Park that respect historical values and meet modern quality requirements, the procurement “Historical research of the development of Esplanade Park, conceptual vision of park development and development of project documentation for the restoration of greenery, landscaping and pedestrian road surfaces, author supervision” has been re-announced “.
“Elements of improvement in the entire territory of the park – benches, waste bins, greenery and the surface of the other paths in the park – will be renewed in accordance with the solutions developed in the mentioned project. This means that in the part of the park where the pedestrian paths have already been restored, temporary benches and waste bins will be placed from the existing stocks for the convenience of the residents. On the other hand, the permanent improvement elements will be installed only after the project is approved and the works are completed, which could tentatively be in 2023, upon receiving the necessary budget funding,” admits the Director of the Housing and Environment Department of the Riga City Council p.i. Eddy Pelsh.
Along with the accessibility of the Esplanade Park, visitors will also be delighted by two cultural and historical objects of the Latvian architect Kārļis Plūksnes – symmetrical cast bronze fountains with a round polished granite pool in the middle – which will resume their seasonal operation on Friday, July 29, in the afternoon and which will be illuminated in the evenings from now on. Spotlights have been installed on both fountains, the weekly timer and twilight switch have been replaced.
The municipality reminds that the Esplanade Park is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. During the restoration of its visual image, the existing cultural values are not violated or damaged.
