HARRISON COUNTY, MS

Providing relaxation, promoting health

Neel-Schaffer was selected to provide professional design services for the Henderson Point Park in Harrison County, Mississippi. The Henderson Point community in Harrison County received heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, leaving many displaced residents; many homes have still not been rebuilt.

Area leaders felt that the development of a public park at Henderson Point would serve several important purposes. First, it would provide a gateway for individuals who use the Bay St. Louis Bridge’s pedestrian pathway for recreation. Plus the park could be a factor in drawing residents back to the area to rebuild. The park would host events such as concerts, parties and other social gatherings, and serve as the starting point for fitness related activities, such as the annual 5k run across the bridge.

Neel-Schaffer led coordination with officals from the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Harrison County, along with concerned citizens, to design a beautiful public park for the benfit of members of the Henderson Point community. The park includes seven acres of MDOT right-of-way at the eastern base of the Bay St. Louis Bridge.

The Henderson Point Park boasts amenities such as walking paths, a kayak launch, and two spacious pavillions that serve as the focal points for the park, to be used for concerts and other public gatherings. The park offers views of both the Bay St. Louis and Bayou Boisedore, and features several boardwalk areas along Bayou Boisedore for fishing or relaxation.

The location of the park adjacent to the U.S. Highway 90 Bridge over the Bay offers a great opportunity for shade. The park design allowed for both the children’s play equipment and a large portion of the walking path to be located under the bridge. A sloped walkway and stairs are positioned along the embankment, giving visitors safe, direct access from the parking lots to the bridge walking path.

Landscape improvements inlcude areas of bermuda turf, ornamental shrubs, grasses and groundcover, and large shade trees. There are several large areas for wildflower plantings to add color, while keeping maintenance minimal.