DAVENPORT, Iowa — In just a few short years, Davenport's riverfront could get a while lot more exciting.
"That's kind of one of the things we're proposing, a substantial amount of intense play features for children of all eges but also has a number of other elements as well for young adults or regular adults," Davenport's Engineering and Capital Projects Director Clay Merritt said.
At their meeting on Wednesday, July 10, the Davenport City Council approved a design contract to turn the lawn east of the Skybridge into a family-friendly recreation area. The proposal would add a multi-sport activity area and play structures such as a set of slides and climbing elements built to look like Lock and Dam 15.
"[It's] uniquely Davenport in design, it'll be one of the most unique play places in the Quad Cities," Davenport Parks Director Chad Dyson said.
Dyson told News 8 the project will give families more to do downtown.
"So that in itself will hopefully draw visitors over and over again to interact with that," Dyson said.
But the plans wouldn't be complete without plenty of flood resistance features.
"We're going to raise significant portions of the site, so they're out of the flood waters you see now," Merritt said.
According to Merritt, the ground will be up to flood stages 20 to 21.5.
"If the project was built out right now and we were experiencing the flooding that we're experiencing now, most of the elements you see in the proposal are out of the water," Merritt said.
The site will also be surrounded by a berm up to 10 feet tall.
"And that's supposed to act as a flood measure but really as a protective way against the rail," Merritt said.
Merritt expects to share more concrete plans with the city council by the end of August. Construction could begin in spring 2025 at the earliest.
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