Overview
- The park has opened to the public after a multi‑year project delivered by Esh Construction that rebuilt the former Castlegate and Swallow Hotel site into a connected waterfront space.
- The scheme was funded by the council with major contributions of £16.5 million from a national ministry and £20 million from the Tees Valley Combined Authority.
- Major engineering work includes a 55‑metre land bridge linking the High Street to the River Tees and the realignment of the A1305 Riverside Road to a single carriageway in each direction.
- Landscaping and play provision were designed for accessibility and sensory experience, with more than 17,000 plants across 224 species, 153 trees, three play areas, and a 402‑step amphitheatre that features a commissioned poem by Simon Armitage.
- Officials say the park’s flexible event spaces, markets and riverside setting are intended to draw visitors into the town centre, support shops and hospitality and create local jobs after years of planning and construction.