Council Bluff Green Project - paving the way

Swiss Bear and the Council Bluff Green
spearheaded improvements to the Neuse River waterfront
park between Broad and Change streets.

Historically, Swiss Bear’s revitalization program has been based on building partnerships with the private sector to assist the City of New Bern with public facility improvements, all of which promote the general interest and quality of life for visitors and Craven County residents. The redevelopment of Union Point Park and Council Bluff Green were two of those projects.

In 1997, when the Union Point Park Put Your Mark on the Park fundraising campaign was still underway, the new Neuse River Bridge was under construction. Its completion in the fall of 1999 would require the removal of the old Neuse River Bridge at the end of Broad Street.

At the Nov. 27 Swiss Bear Board meeting, I presented plans/drawings developed by Dick Smith, Smith Design Group of improvements to the Neuse River waterfront park between Broad and Change streets. The park, constructed in the 1930’s on a historic site, was in need of major improvements. The sidewalk and retaining wall systems were deteriorated, cracked and uneven. Amenities such as lighting, benches, trash receptacles and seating areas needed to be upgraded.

By March 1999, more than $120,000 was raised for the
Pave the Way campaign.

Our board was unanimous in their support of another fundraising effort as they recognized it was important to take advantage of this opportunity to assist the city in improving the entire park. To be known as Council Bluff Green, the narrow stretch of land has been historically important for centuries. It is where Native Americans of the Chattawka nation held tribal councils, where early settlers built their homes and where a Post Road was constructed to link Newberne with communities to the west. The restoration and preservation of this historic site was important to New Bern and improvements to Council Bluff would serve as a catalyst for development of the adjacent site and would complete the northern section of the city’s waterfront promenade.

The City’s commitment to the construction of a new police station, Union Point Park and Pollock Street (300 block) improvements prevented their ability to provide any funds other than $48,000 earmarked for critical stabilization work, and if approved, a $50,000 grant from the N.C. Coastal Waterfront Access Program (CAMA).

Due to their financial commitments, the Board of Aldermen was concerned we would not be able to raise the additional $150,000 needed to complete redevelopment of the park. To assure them we could, we received pre-campaign commitments of more that $50,000 from 13 families. In April 1998, a month after the Put Your Mark on the Park campaign ended, the Council Bluff Project was sanctioned and officially approved by the Board of Aldermen.

Based on Smith Design Group’s development plans, the project consisted of the redevelopment of the 600 foot long linear waterfront access area which included demolition of existing deteriorated structures, storm sewer improvements, construction of a new promenade using brick and exposed aggregate concrete, adjustment of the granite curbing at the street’s edge, landscaping, refurbishing existing railings, planter urns, bulk heading and planting the area with major and minor trees.

The Pave the Way campaign would raise funds by selling bricks, pavers, sections of aggregate, urns, lighting and benches. As was the case with all of our fundraising campaigns, the money received was put in a special bank account and was turned over to the city at the end of the campaign.

In an Oct. 2, 1998 letter to Mike Avery, director of planning and inspections, Donna Moffitt, director of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, congratulated the City as a recipient of a $50,000 grant, and stated “the project should be completed just as it was in the proposed development plans unless modified by mutual agreement.”

By March 1999, more than $120,000 was raised. Major contributors included Craven County, Rob and Claudia Hubbard, the Kellenberger Historical Foundation and the Swank Foundation. 

In April, Swiss Bear and the City was caught off-guard as controversy arose when the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) raised concerns during the pre-application process for a Certificate of Appropriateness (CA) regarding the original design, number of light fixtures and trees. The controversy intensified in May when the project in a 6 to 3 vote was denied a CA, based on issues with the palette of materials, lights, trees and benches.

Many residents of the Council Bluff Green neighborhood offered support, those who contributed were unhappy with the outcome.

Letters to the editor complained, “the project had too many trees and benches … the only publicized plans were concept boards and the plan on the fundraising brochures ... city and Swiss Bear put the cart before the horse, prior to selling bricks the concept should have been brought before the HPC from the beginning.”

Many defended Swiss Bear, questioning “the motives of the critics … the project had been endorsed and sanctioned by the City, New Bern Historical Society, New Bern Preservation Foundation, New Bern Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Development Authority and Craven Arts Council and Civic Theatre from the start of the campaign and the concept/plans were well-known … let’s move out from the power play.”

The modified plans, with fewer trees and lights and the exposed aggregate concrete along the promenade sandblasted to soften its appearance, resubmitted to the HPC in June were approved. The City put the project out for bids awarding the contract to L. R. Thomas & Sons, Inc. and construction began in late fall due to delays created by Hurricane Floyd. Pave the Way officially ended in August having raised approximately $160,000.

On July 16, 2000, Mayor Bayliss, the New Bern Board of Aldermen, Pave the Way Steering Committee members: Susan Moffat Thomas, David L Ward, Jr., Charles H. Ashford, Jr. and Rev. C Edward Sharp, representatives from Swiss Bear, the various organizations and the community  joined together to celebrate the restoration of this historic site. A prayer by Teresa Morris, a Tuscarora descendant closed the dedication ceremony.

The success of the campaign/project like many others was due to the high level of participation and support from local government, area organizations, businesses and the community-at-large.