Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Riverwalk

Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is an  32,400 m2 (8 acre) public park located along the Hillsborough river in downtown Tampa, Florida. It features splash fountains, a playground and dog park – all with city skyline as a backdrop.

A three-phased approach

A lighting installation carried out over three phases was proposed for this project. In the first phase, the City of Tampa sought to replace 48 non-functioning underwater lights for the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. The second phase involved up-lighting sixteen 30-foot plus palm trees. Phase three consisted of replacing inoperable fixtures underneath the Riverwalk.

Increasing foot traffic

The intent was to rejuvenate the park area to create a more attractive and welcoming space for people to experience at night. Even during phase one programming, the park saw an increase in foot traffic which continued to grow after the fountain dedication ceremony.

Following the success of phase one, the city proceeded with phase two: up-lighting the palm trees. The combination of three Color Kinetics products – C-Splash 2, and Burst luminaires – created a colorful and inviting seating area near the fountains for visiting patrons. Phase three saw the entire Riverwalk lined with 125 luminaires to match the lighting installed in the previous phases.

Impacting the city

The Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Riverwalk are a shining example of how lighting impacts and draws residents to an area that was not previously utilized. They now have a place to safely socialize, run, workout or attend events. The synergy between our Certified System Integrator SESCO Lighting and the City of Tampa provided an opportunity to design a single project and expand on it to benefit residents. Additionally, an ongoing service contract makes it easy for the city to hold special events and make lighting changes as and when they are needed.