Tuscaloosa renames River District Park to honor local towing leaders

Jasmine Hollie, Tuscaloosa News
·2 min read
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River District Park, which opened in 2022 in the heart of downtown Tuscaloosa, has a new name: Parker-Haun Park.

The city of Tuscaloosa says it chose to honor the Parker and Haun families because of their staunch support for the Saban Center, an interactive learning hub expected to open in 2026.

The Parker and Haun families own the Tuscaloosa County-based Parker Towing, one of the largest barge lines in the United States.

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“Nick and I are delighted by this next step for Parker-Haun Park," said Terry Saban, who is the wife of Alabama football coach Nick Saban. "In the last year, this park has become such an asset to our community and will be a wonderful outdoor extension to the Saban Center. We are honored to dedicate it to the Parker and Haun families.”

Members of the Parker and Haun families said they are proud to support the Saban Center's mission to become a focal point where children can learn more about science, technology, engineering, the arts and math.

The City of Tuscaloosa renamed River District Park to honor the Parker and Haun families due to their overwhelming support of the Saban Center. The park is now known as Parker-Haun Park.
The City of Tuscaloosa renamed River District Park to honor the Parker and Haun families due to their overwhelming support of the Saban Center. The park is now known as Parker-Haun Park.

“The donation is for the STEAM opportunities for the children,” said Tim Parker III, president and CEO of Parker Towing Co.

“We saw what a positive impact our prior contribution made at CHOM (the Children's Hands-on Museum) and wanted to be a part of the next evolution for the children of West Alabama. We are honored to have the park named after us due to our history at the location,” Parker said.

The Children's Hands-on Museum is scheduled to move from its longtime University Boulevard location into the Saban Center, where it will be rebranded as Ignite.

The then-new River District Park was completed in fall of 2022 and is funded by the city's Elevate Tuscaloosa plan, which will fund more than $500 million in education, transportation, recreation and public safety projects over the next three decades through a 1-cent sales tax increase.

The park is next to the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater along the bank of the Black Warrior River. The new park sits beneath the Hugh R. Thomas Bridge and includes green space, river-viewing areas, plaza space, and an outdoor stage.

There are also color-changing RGB lights throughout the park. Since opening, it has served as a space to hold community events along the Riverwalk of the Black Warrior River. The park will connect to the Saban Center via a pedestrian bridge over Jack Warner Parkway.

The official renaming of Parker-Haun Park occurred Oct. 30.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa renames River District Park to honor local towing leaders