Bert Merrill, 1922 - 2018

Bert Merrill (center) with Patricia Merrill (L) and Jeannette King (R);
Picnic celebrating the merger of Chickasaw Bluff Conservancy
& Friends for Our Riverfront, 2013.

It is with great sorrow that we learned of the death of Bert Merrill in Sarasota, FL on Sept. 24. Bert was a founding member of Friends for Our Riverfront, sharing his deep knowledge of the river, engineering, and this community.

Bert's commitment to public access and protection of the natural beauty of the Memphis riverfront was deep rooted. He was a member of the Chickasaw Bluff Conservancy, whose advocacy resulted in today's Bluffwalk. He and his wife, Patricia were also staunch supporters of their neighborhood, Sea Isle, and helped design and implement the neighborhood's lovely park.

Here is his obituary from the Sarasota "Herald Times" and Memphis "Commercial Appeal," which includes information about his outstanding military and engineering career and his role as Dir. of Physical Plant and Planning at the University of Memphis.
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Last year, Memphis's Big River Crossing won -- This year, Boston's Finnegan Park

Last year the Excellence in Design Top Honor Award from The Waterfront Center went to our Big River Crossing!

This year, Sen. Joseph Finnegan Park at Port Norfolk in Boston received the award. The park, created on once contaminated industrial land, links Neponset Greenway with Boston's Harborwalk and restores the shoreline to its native saltwater habitat.

Click HERE for more on the exciting 2018 Excellence in Design Awards.

Click HERE for short powerpoints on each winning project: Willamette Falls Riverwalk Master Plan (Oregon City, OR), Newark Riverfront Park (Newark, NJ), Refuge Gateway and Humbug Marsh (Detroit, MI), South Waterfront Greenway (Portland, OR), Virginia Institute of Marine Science Campus Plan (Wachapreague, VA), The Wharf (Washington, D.C.), San Francisco Bay Trail Design Guidelines and Tool Kit, and The Billion Oyster Project (Governors Island, NY).