[5] The original idea for a park atop the sewage plant was Philip Johnson's, who proposed a series of decorative fountains and a reflecting pool.

Some iterations of the design included fully decking over the West Side Highway to create a continuous park.

The 28-acre (11 ha) site includes synthetic sport surfaces as well as several acres of "green roofs", with varying depths of soil supporting plantings and trees up to 35 feet (11 m) high.

[citation needed] The park includes an Olympic-size swimming pool (home to the Riverbank Redtails swim team),[12] a covered skating rink for roller skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter, an 800-seat cultural theater, a 2,500-seat athletic complex with fitness room, a 400m track, a 150-seat restaurant, tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds, a baseball field, community gardens, and a horticultural learning lab.

[13] are Bicycling is strictly forbidden in the park but the Hudson River Greenway passes at water level.