April 13, 2023

The next phase of Downtown River Greenway is taking shape.

The project will develop a public riverwalk along the west side of the Big Sioux River and the upper falls, where it doesn’t exist today.

After some design modifications to stay on budget, “there are some subtle changes,” but “from a public perception, the amenities on the west side as far as the plaza space and public access on the river and the connection to Falls Park, that all stayed the same,” said Jon Jacobson, senior principal with design firm Confluence.

The greenway development will run alongside The Steel District’s office and restaurant building as well as its retail and residential space wrapped around a parking ramp. Much of the area is currently Kiwanis Park.

The city plans to fund the estimated $15 million project using pandemic-related federal money.

About one-third of the project cost is for rebuilding the low-head dam from The Steel District to Falls Park.

“The important thing to note about that is the structure, while originally built for industry uses in Falls Park, ultimately it maintains the water level through the downtown reach of the river, and it’s been significantly degrading over the last decade to the point where that water is starting to drop,” Jacobson said.

The pedestrian-focused piece of the project “is very much built along the model of the prior two phases of greenway, where we want to provide public access down low along the river, so you can be close to the river, see it, walk along it,” Jacobson said.

“And the upper level is more activated as far as seating, places to gather. There will be a shelter there that the Parks Department will heavily program, so a better space to do yoga on the river or eat your lunch, and ultimately we’d like to introduce public art there as well, whether that’s through private gifts or the continuation of SculptureWalk.”

A multipurpose synthetic turf lawn is designed for use from early spring through late fall, and a small dog park is planned on the south end of the greenway.

The idea is to blur the line between public and private space, Jacobson added.

“At Cherapa, there are private spaces that work in conjunction with the public spaces, so it’s all pretty seamless, and Steel District will be the same way as far as access to it and getting to the shops and restaurants.”

The plan is to bid the project late this summer and begin construction in the fall, continuing through winter.

“That’s a good time to build some of these improvements, working in tandem with the river,” Jacobson said.

The idea is to wrap it up in early 2025 with finishing touches in spring.

“It got delayed a little bit due to budget and permitting, but we always planned on breaking ground in late fall,” said Mike Patten, a park development specialist with the city.

“We worked through some design alternatives to still accomplish everything we wanted to accomplish within the project. It’s a great design. It’s going to look spectacular when it’s done.”