Augusta, Ga (WJBF) – The Cato’s were out enjoying Riverwalk, but believe now is the time to get it looking a little better.

 “It’s not in terrible shape but you know if they’re going to rename it they should go through and recondition some things,” said Ron Cato.  

 Commissioners voting last week to rename the park for former Mayor Ed McIntyre, credited as the visionary behind Riverwalk,  

“I would think Charles Devaney should certainly be on it and probably be the only person who had anything to do with it,” said former Augusta City Attorney Paul Dunbar. 

 Former mayor Charles Devaney has his name on the plaque at Riverwalk. 

 He was in office when it was built, but commissioners rejected a proposal to name Riverwalk for both Mcintyre and Devaney.  

“Scratching out the name Devaney and just making it the Edward M. McIntyre, Sr. Riverwalk and Square,” said Commissioner Bobby Williams. 

 But that doesn’t square with Paul Dunbar he  went along with Devaney to Washington D.C. to secure an act of congress, to allow construction on the levee for Riverwalk, without that he says there would be no park.  

“The idea was scrapped because the Corps of Engineers would not allow it to be built and it was not until Devaney took office and took the ball and took it to Washington and got it done that it ever went forward,” said Dunbar.  

 Commissioners want to honor the past by renaming Riverwalk, even with disagreement

on how the park, came to pass. In Augusta George Eskola WJBF NewsChannel 6. 

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