A proposal for the Memphis River Parks Partnership's Studio Gang- and SCAPE-designed waterfront park in Memphis has taken a step forward as the firms present their latest visions for the 30-acre project site. 

Following years of design and community engagement, the semi-final design of Tom Lee Park includes a collection of discretely programmed landscaped areas designed alternately to accommodate human needs alongside those of the mighty Mississippi River. 

The northernmost section of the park connects to Memphis's Beale Street and to a forthcoming downtown art museum, while central portions are geared more toward neighboring community use. 

Here, a "Civic Canopy" offers a large, flat expanse for public gatherings and events. A central forested overlook provides shade as well as a promontory from which to see the river and the city in an adjacent area .

At the southern end of the park, elevated trails and "Immersive Platforms" offer residents a chance to connect with the quiet solitude of the surrounding landscape. 

According to the architects, "The park’s program incorporates the ideas and input of Memphians from across the city. Designed to support their ambitions and favorite activities, new structures emerge from the landscape to flexibly accommodate a range of uses—sports and fitness, outdoor education, community dinners, and concerts, to name just a few—and to elevate them with the living backdrop of the Mississippi."

The designers will now take the project proposal into the construction documents phase where the design will be fine tuned. The project is expected to break ground in late 2020.