How should the city enhance this underused SoHo green space?

It's a prime piece of green space close to London's downtown core. A designated patch of parkland with few amenities, but bursting with potential.

Located south of the old Victoria Hospital site, Wellington Valley Park is really a park in name only, an open space popular with dog walkers but with no easy access to the river it borders.

But as the hospital lands are redeveloped with projects like the planned Medallion Building, the 6.5-hectare green space will become a crucial asset to the growing SoHo(south of Horton Street) neighbourhood.

"Underutilized, I think that's the best description for it," saidSoHocommunityassociation president AngelaLukachwhen asked about the park. "There are no public access walkways or safe spaces to walk along the river."

City planners are hoping to make changes that will attract more people to the park and open up access to the river.

At an open houseplanned for tonight, the city will present ideas for adding new amenities to the space. They include a shared-use path and a public access to the river. But beyond those two must-haves, planners are open to ideas from the public about what they'd like to see in the re-shaped space.

One idea calls for a bridge that spans the river to connectwith the Thames Valley Parkway, which runs along the river's southern shore. Other ideas floated include improved lighting, terraced landscaping, a boat or kayak launchand a promenade with views across the river.

As it stands now, the river's shore is so unkempt and overgrown, it's effectively inaccessible and sealed off from the open park space. Reconnecting the river withthe park and the growing neighbourhood it serves is a key part of the plan.

At tonight's meeting, planners will present renderings showing some design ideas. The public will have a chance to offer their input on what should be added to the plan.

• LISTEN: City parks planner Andrew Macphersontalks about the plan on London Morning

Many of the ideas at tonight's open house came as a the result of the Ribbon of The Thames design competition held by the London Community Foundation in 2015. Denver-based architect firm Civitas+Stantecwon the competition, which laid out plans to revitalize a much larger swath of riverside land stretching from the Oxford Street bridge to the SpringbankDam and down toSoHo.

The architects estimated the cost of their plans for the SoHosection at $10million. So far, the city only has $2 million set aside, so the budget won't be able to accommodate every idea.

Money won'tbe the only challenge. The area's topography is tricky. Toward Wellington Street, the land slopes sharply down to the riverside. Some of the flatter, low-lying areas closer to ColborneStreet are on a floodplain, restricting what can be built there.

"There are a lot of constraints," said Lukach. "We're hoping that the parts that are accessible year-round can be turned into something beautiful, and realize the vision of the neighbourhood. We want something that works for everybody, including the new residents that are coming in."

Martha Powell heads the London Community Foundation, the group that held the 2015 design competition.

She believes the park upgrades are crucial to the future development ofSoHo.

"It's a community that has a river running through it that really hasn't been utilized or enjoyed, and this is going to create an opportunity for people to come back to the river," she said. "It can transform the entire neighbourhood."

The Open House

The two-hour public meeting starts at 6 p.m. and will be held on the third floor of the Goodwill Industries building at255 Horton St. E.