Earlier this month, the Vanderburgh County Board of Parks Commissioners approved the taking of soil borings downtown near the water.
“The borings would be approximately 15-foot deep,” said Matt Wallace with survey firm Morley. “They would be backfilled and patched. The work would be done in one day.”
Morley was hired by international design firm Sasaki, who was hired by the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (EREP) to create the new riverfront plan.
These borings can reveal soil type, strength, stability and groundwater levels, said Ashley Diekmann, River Vision advancement director with EREP.
“It's really important because it tells us what kind of foundations are needed. We have this beautiful plan, but now we're really looking and doing our technical due diligence.”
The overall plan to transform and improve the riverfront in the Evansville region was unveiled in May of 2024, with updates this summer.
This phase is expected to last until the end of next April. After which construction drawings will need to be rendered.
Diekmann said this phase includes researching and knowing where everything is underground.
“… major utilities, the levee locations, flooding elevations within the design elements that we have also looking at detailed surveys, looking at the wetlands within our plan and what we have along the riverfront currently, as well as historical factors that go into the schematic design phase.”
These borings will inform the designers what types of foundations are needed, how to manage drainage and what construction methods are ideal.
More on the 2024 announcement here
More on the 2025 update here
Support independent journalism today. You rely on WNIN to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Give to grow our local reporting today. Donate