COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — The $60 million riverfront development project in Council Bluffs will have a ribbon cutting in May and more construction is planned. City council members were briefed on Phase 5 of the development at Monday's council study session.
WATCH KATRINA'S STORY BELOW
During Monday's city council study session, Pete Tulipana, president and CEO of Southwest Iowa Nonprofit for Collect Impact (SINC) — the nonprofit overseeing the donor-funded development — presented plans for Phase 5. The plans include a play area, dog park and a plaza recognizing donors.
Tulipana highlighted features planned for the playground area during his presentation.
"We know in some successful playgrounds one of the things the kids really like are things that ring bells or make noise," Tulipana said about the sensory portion of the play area.
However, council members said they were not informed during the previous city administration that the proposed dog park would be located on the wet side of the levee and they expressed concerns about the impact of flooding.
"If the parks director can find a site that is, can meet our need and be close to the riverfront, then I would be supportive of that," Tulipana said.
Council members also questioned the location of the donor plaza and wondered if it could be damaged or removed during a flood. Members also had concerns about the $600,000 price tag for the donor plaza because the city previously agreed to pay for that feature. The rest of the project is being funded with donations.
Further discussion about the concerns is expected at a later date.
The development already includes an adventure tower and treetop walk near the Bob Kerrey Bridge and a ribbon cutting for that phase of the project is planned for May, with the facility expected to open to the public by June.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
