The transformation of the Cancer Survivors Park stands in stark contrast to what it once was – an overgrown connection from Cleveland Park to Falls Park in the heart of downtown Greenville, SC. As the Construction Manager At-Risk for Cancer Survivors Park, Harper worked diligently with Cancer Survivors Park Alliance, the City of Greenville, designers, engineers, and trade partners not only during preconstruction but also through the completion of construction for this beautiful garden and park.
Harper’s Environmental Systems Division (ESD) also performed significant improvements to the existing sewer line running across the Reedy River and through the new park location. Upgrades included rehabilitation of the existing concrete piers and removal of an old metal bridge over the river. Harper worked to replace the old metal gate with the Spirit Bridge, a 12-foot-wide, 135-foot-long concrete and steel bridge supported by large stone abutments. The new bridge with lighted steel cable handrails required an erection of 50 tons of steel across the Reedy River.
Features
- The Celebration Pavilion – part sculpture and part structure – that serves as the focal point of the park. Illuminated ribs of stainless steel sweep 50 feet into the air and provide a visible beacon of hope for the area. The 3,000 SF, open-air upper-level gathering space will accommodate 125 people for large events.
- The Survivorship Center, located below the Celebration Pavilion is a 2,000 SF enclosed heated and cooled space designed to host a variety of educational and community events.
- A two-level Children’s Garden centered around a bronze lion and child sculpture called “Fear Not,” designed by local artist Charles Pate, Jr.
- Other specialty gardens including The Gathering Place with a survivor bell, The Banks of the Reedy with a small amphitheater, The Shadow Garden, and Healing Garden
