COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — A new trail and many new opportunities for business and recreation in Council Bluffs are here.
It's called the First Ave Project. Built one block south of Broadway, it replaced former railroad tracks. Work on the project started in 2010.
The Iowa West Foundation has gifted more than $6 million to make it a reality.
Lined with trees, lighting and plazas, it will draw people to the area. The corridor is expected to entice development.
Council Bluffs even reserved space next to the trail for future transit.
It’s a perfect place, Mayor Matt Walsh says, for a street car.
“The one thing that I've seen everywhere is that it's literally like watering the desert. It's just development blooms along the street car system. I've heard people say well, we should expand the bus routes but the attractiveness for a developer is having a fixed transit route that won't move around,” said Walsh.
As part of the ribbon cutting for the trail, Council Bluffs also celebrated the renovations at nearby Cochran Park.
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