POULSBO — After more than three decades of service, Poulsbo’s Waterfront Park has spent the last three months getting a much-needed facelift. Whether it was worth it will be known to one and all Thursday during the popular site’s grand opening.

Crews from Fischer General Contracting recently completed the long-awaited restoration of the failing bulkhead along Liberty Bay and also added new sidewalks and grass.

The improvements are the first the park has received since the Kvelstad Pavilion was erected by Bight of Poulsbo founder Bill Austin in the 1970s.

The public is invited to a formal unveiling of the additions at 3 p.m. Thursday sponsored by city officials and Mayor Kathryn Quade.

“It’s such a huge upgrade from the old park,” said Checkers Espresso owner Jim Wise. “It’s going to be a great treat for people.”

As beautification chairman of the Historic Downtown Poulsbo Association, Wise said once the new benches and lights are added to the park, the public will be able to enjoy the refurbished area that much more.

The improvements have made the park more open and accessible to everyone and the city did excellent work, Wise said.

“(City engineer) Andrezj (Kasiniak) did a wonderful job of managing it,” said Parks and Recreation director Mary McCluskey.

Even though the failing bulkhead was the impetus for the project, McCluskey said the city was able to creatively fund new sidewalks and basic landscape improvements as well.

“I walked down there yesterday, and everyone seemed to be enjoying it,” she said March 6.