Roswell's Park Upgrades Opened Inland First. The River Comes Last.

Roswell's park crews have finished several big projects since early September, and all of them are away from the Chattahoochee. Riverside Park is the one riverfront project in the group, and it stays fenced off until summer 2027. That makes the pond at Roswell Area Park, the turf fields at Grimes Bridge Park and the new trail along Hardscrabble Road the city's newest park spaces for the next nine months.

The money shows how the work is lined up. The pond, the turf fields, the Hardscrabble trail and the four new playgrounds approved this month add up to about $11.2 million, using the city's $4.1 million completion figure for Grimes Bridge. The Riverside Park renovation costs $13.8 million by itself. All of it comes from the same voter-approved bond program, which the Roswell Ledger puts at $179.6 million across more than 35 project sites. The smaller projects finished first, and the river park finishes last.

Where things stand this week

Several projects in the table are open but not finished in every way. The pond is the clearest case.

The pond is open, but you can't fish it yet

The city held a ribbon-cutting at Roswell Area Park on Sept. 10 for its pond, after nearly a year of construction. The $3.1 million project dredged the pond, rebuilt the embankment, upgraded the stormwater system, added new forebays and improved the retaining walls and the trail around the water. Crews planted native and aquatic plants and left logs in the water for turtles. According to Roswell Connections, turtles and frogs started coming back on their own before construction was even done.

Fishing will take longer. The city plans to add about 15,000 fish in phases as the pond settles, and fishing stays restricted until an expected window of late summer or fall 2027. So the walking loop is ready this fall, and anyone who wants to fish at Roswell Area Park will have to wait about a year.

The same park has more changes coming. The playground at Roswell Area Park is one of four the City Council approved for replacement at its Oct. 13 meeting. When the Roswell Ledger checked the city's project list in early September, Musco crews were also installing new LED lights there. In one year, the park is getting a rebuilt pond, new lights and a new playground.

The fields reopened before their trees went in

Grimes Bridge Park works the same way. At the Sept. 24 ribbon-cutting, players went back onto two former grass soccer fields that now have artificial turf. The project also rebuilt the retaining wall between the upper and lower fields and added a new plaza, stairway, fencing and netting, along with stormwater work. Ardurra designed the project and Precision Turf, LLC built it. The city put the cost at $4.1 million and said 29 trees were still to be planted at the park this fall. On your next visit you may find the fields finished and the landscaping still going in.

On Oct. 2 the city said the LED lighting conversion at its athletic fields and racquet courts was complete. The September project list showed that work already done at East Roswell Park, Groveway Community Park, Woodstock Park, Waller Park and Grimes Bridge. If your evenings are built around youth sports, the new lights reach farther across Roswell than any single park project.

The newest walking route runs to a school

Most people walk Riverside Park along the water. The newest place to walk in Roswell is a road corridor. The Hardscrabble Road multi-use trail opened this summer. It runs more than 4,200 feet, connects to existing routes and reaches Roswell High School. KCI Technologies designed it, Sol Construction built it, Magnum Paving paved it, and Fulton County worked with the city on waterline upgrades along the way. The project cost about $2.5 million in bond money.

The city's announcement presented the trail as a safe connection across Roswell. Until Riverside Park reopens, Roswell's newest paved miles run along streets and connect neighborhoods.

Getting to the river while Riverside Park is closed

Riverside Park is 21 acres on the Chattahoochee and gets more than 130,000 visitors a year. The Roswell Ledger reported in September that the renovation was 35% complete. Crews from The MAPP Group were grading the site, putting in stormwater infrastructure and pouring footers for a new event pavilion and bandstand. The plan removes some trees and plants 307 new ones, for a net gain of 86 trees in the park. It is the second project under the city's River Parks Master Plan, after Phase I at Ace Sand Park was finished in 2024.

The city's Riverside Park page says the park is closed until an expected summer 2027 reopening and that pedestrian routes will stay open. The city has named other places to park and reach the river in the meantime.

1. Ace Sand Park, 705 Riverside Road. The city lists it as alternate parking. It is also the site of the master plan's finished first phase.
2. Don White Memorial Park, 925 Riverside Road. Also listed as alternate parking. The city's facility page lists river access, a canoe and kayak launch, fishing docks, trails, a picnic area, outdoor fitness equipment and volleyball.
3. Azalea Park, 203 Azalea Drive. It has its own river access, a canoe and kayak launch, trails, a picnic area and a playground. The city does not include Azalea Park or River Landing in Riverside's alternate parking, so don't plan to leave a car there for a Riverside visit.

The road to those parks has a project of its own. In July, the city announced that its Riverside Road corridor project was moving into construction. The project covers about two miles between Riviera Road and Old Alabama Road, and the city told drivers to expect periodic lane closures, temporary traffic shifts and active work zones. It says access to neighborhoods, businesses, schools and parks will be maintained whenever possible.

What arrives between now and next summer

The next projects include two new places to visit. In September, the Ledger reported that Liberty Square Park was 95% complete with an October target. It is a new park at 1280 Mission Hills Court with a pavilion, restrooms, parking, playground features and open field space. Founders Park, the grounds around Mimosa Hall at 127 Bulloch Drive, was also at 95%, with its restroom building, parking lot and retention pond substantially done. The plans there include an event lawn, a support building with guest restrooms and a catering kitchen, and restored historic garden features. Both are expected to open soon. Check Roswell Connections for a ribbon-cutting date before you go.

The four new playgrounds will come later. The Oct. 13 approval covers East Roswell, Groveway Community, Roswell Area and Sloan Street parks, with a total authorization of $1,542,117 and Dominica Recreation Products as the contractor. Appen Media reported that the new equipment is meant to meet current safety standards and federal ADA requirements. The city's September project list targeted June 2027 for completion. No site-by-site closure dates have been published, so families who use those four playgrounds should expect them to close at some point this winter or spring.

That same night, the council also let the Roswell Development Authority start negotiating to turn the city-owned Masonic Lodge at 1054 Alpharetta Street into a live music and performing arts venue. That vote only opens negotiations. No developer has been chosen and no opening date has been set. If it moves forward, it would add another venue just up Alpharetta Street from Canton Street, where Roswell already has a busy fall calendar.

The new playgrounds and Riverside Park's bandstand are both targeted for summer 2027, and the pond's fishing season is expected to follow in late summer or fall 2027. Until then, Roswell's riverfront time happens at Azalea, Ace Sand and Don White, and the newest finished spaces are away from the river.

If a park nearby factors into where your family lives next, our team at Ligas & Co knows which Roswell streets are close to these projects and when each one is expected to finish. You can find more local updates on our Roswell neighborhood page, and when you're ready to talk about finding a home near the parks you use, we're glad to help you Start Your Journey.