River's Edge Development (Playland Park)

Jwunderlich · Post by **Jwunderlich** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 8:59 am

Well it was a ballpark and empty open fields but they are supposed to be putting in a water feature / ice skating rink as well as some weird advertising columns that they have been selling space for to get grant money. So i was just wondering if any one else had heard anything or seen anything. I have also seen crews working on the interstate is that the widening and renewal project or are they just doing maintenance?

Post by **Brad** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:05 am

Jwunderlich wrote:Well it was a ballpark and empty open fields but they are supposed to be putting in a water feature / ice skating rink as well as some weird advertising columns that they have been selling space for to get grant money. So i was just wondering if any one else had heard anything or seen anything. I have also seen crews working on the interstate is that the widening and renewal project or are they just doing maintenance?

Not sure about the new stuff in the park, Just going off what the County has on the GIS Map.

The crews on the interstate that I saw where just doing maintenance. Hopefully re-surfacing!

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:06 am

Jwunderlich wrote:Well it was a ballpark and empty open fields but they are supposed to be putting in a water feature / ice skating rink as well as some weird advertising columns that they have been selling space for to get grant money. So i was just wondering if any one else had heard anything or seen anything. I have also seen crews working on the interstate is that the widening and renewal project or are they just doing maintenance?

Do you mean the I-29 to 480 ramp going to Omaha? I think it's more significant, they tore down like 5 houses off of ave G and cut down on the empty space between the interstate and the road. As far as the park goes, this was from back in like september of 2009, courtesy of icejammer:

icejammer wrote:Well, a few things in the last year or so threw wrinkles into the plans - the original plan called for a road through the levee to the river, but that had to be reconfigured, the City had to purchase so many acres of park land to replace the park land lost to the development due to some Federal regulations, the City has had to seek out additional grants and final financial arrangements have been hammered out. I think the last piece of the puzzle finally fell into place at the last council meeting when they approved a special taxing fund within the area that sets aside all property taxes for servicing debts on loans and bonds (as I understand it). The work we'll see this fall will be just to start getting the basic infrastructure in place for the development.

I am anxious to see stuff get going, but i think it's going to just take a little more time with things being the way they are now. Plus, all the rain has probably slowed things down a bit.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:16 am

I29 reconstruction talk over here:

http://eomahaforums.com/phpBB/viewtopic ... &start=120

FYI not reconstruction yet...

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:33 am

thanks brad! That makes me wonder then if the houses that were removed was the land used to replace park land to secure funding.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 11:51 am

River's Edge Park gets another look

Tim Rohwer WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE wrote:The Council Bluffs City Council will get a review of specifications for River's Edge Park, including any changes needed to address flooding concerns, at its July 26 meeting. If the council approves the plans, construction bids will be requested immediately with an Aug. 31 deadline for response, Parks Director Larry Foster said.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:34 pm

Coyote wrote:River's Edge Park gets another look

Tim Rohwer WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE wrote:The Council Bluffs City Council will get a review of specifications for River's Edge Park, including any changes needed to address flooding concerns, at its July 26 meeting. If the council approves the plans, construction bids will be requested immediately with an Aug. 31 deadline for response, Parks Director Larry Foster said.

here's to hopin' :cheers:

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:35 pm

First, I like how the title of the article subtly criticizes the current park plans. Second, 4-6 weeks a pretty short turn-around for construction bids. I guess it depends somewhat on the scope of the work; if it's just the early-phase earthwork, that's probably plenty of time for a contractor to estimate it.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:33 pm

Public hearing on River’s Edge Park Monday

The public will now have the chance to weigh in on a proposed “signature” park along the Missouri River.

The Council Bluffs City Council Monday evening will hold a public hearing on the plans and costs for the park to be known as The River’s Edge. . .

The plan is to build it in three phases. Monday’s hearing will involve the first phase that would include a 6-acre Great Lawn adjacent to a large sandy area featuring “funbrellas.” Pavilions, between the Great Lawn and a new parking lot, would be built, along with a road from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge to Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel. A walking/biking trail will be built alongside that. An amphitheater is also planned. The parking lot would have room for 140 vehicles. . . .

As far as concerns about flooding, Walsh said the design firm, Sasaki, is experienced in dealing with that issue in developing other waterfront properties. Sasaki’s resume includes the Detroit Riverfront Civic Center Promenade, the Charleston, S.C., Waterfront Park and the Cedar Rapids River Corridor Redevelopment Plan.

“It’s their specialty so I know they’ve experienced that in other places and how to deal with the risks,” Walsh said. . .

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:07 pm

icejammer wrote:Public hearing on River’s Edge Park Monday

...a new parking lot, would be built, along with a road from the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge to Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino & Hotel. A walking/biking trail will be built alongside that.

I don't quite follow where this new road is going to be. Why are they building a new trail there too? Won't it pretty much be redundant with the current trail that goes south on the levee from the pedestrian bridge?

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:22 pm

i just wish it weren't moving along so slowly... or as slowly as it seems (i'm sure someone will correct me and say that 'in this economy...' and so on, but still...

)

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 2:07 pm

thenewguy wrote:i just wish it weren't moving along so slowly... or as slowly as it seems (i'm sure someone will correct me and say that 'in this economy...' and so on, but still... )

I don't remember where I saw this, but I think I remember reading somewhere that park construction won't begin in earnest until late summer/early fall, to allow for the river to recede some, and so that they can get the majority of the grading and base level stuff done without the threat of of flooding destroying any progress they make.

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:30 pm

no, i know. I just remember seeing links to like 5 hearings/meetings/etc to discuss stuff---i just wish one of the releases were "development now under construction, set to be complete by [whenever]"

Waiting is the hardest part.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Wed Aug 11, 2010 11:26 am

Contractors interested in River’s Edge Park project

. . .Between 25 and 30 contractors and subcontractors attended a pre-bid conference Tuesday to learn more about the park’s specifics, said Council Bluffs Parks Director Larry Foster. Some were local, while others came from as far as Kansas City and Minneapolis, though they have projects elsewhere in the area, he said at Tuesday afternoon’s Parks Board meeting. The conference included a tour of the planned park. Bids for the work are due Aug. 31. . .

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 4:52 pm

They've been chipping up the trees that the cut down this past spring over the last couple of days. Hopefully this means they're about ready to get started on work again, and are clearing the site in preparation....

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Wed Aug 25, 2010 8:33 am

Ben wrote:They've been chipping up the trees that the cut down this past spring over the last couple of days. Hopefully this means they're about ready to get started on work again, and are clearing the site in preparation....

See the post above yours, and several before that, the plan has always been to start construction this fall.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:13 pm

Was down there tonight. It appears that several apartment buildings have been leveled. They were just east of the basketball courts.

http://www.pottco.org/x/card?lname=&fna ... ind=Search

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Thu Sep 09, 2010 12:20 am

good. I never did like that the doors were literally right across from each other.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Sep 28, 2010 1:05 pm

Council approves low bid for new park

The Council Bluffs City Council Monday night began the process that will turn nearly 90 acres of unused Missouri Riverfront property into a world-class, signature park with many recreational options.

The five-member council voted unanimously to award an $11.1 million contract to Council Bluffs-based MFT Construction Inc. for the first phrase of the River’s Edge Park across from downtown Omaha. MFT’s exact bid of $11,110,815 was the lowest of three submitted and came in 1.5 percent higher than the engineers’ estimated cost of $10,945,175. . . .

Work in this first phase would include the creation of a six-acre Great Lawn where people can relax, walk their pet or play Frisbee. Adjacent to it will be a sandy beach area with “funbrellas” where people can relax and watch the river go by. An amphitheater with formal seating elements is to be built for concerts. A Donor Plaza with donor recognition pillars, the two-lane road, a plaza providing a connection to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, walkways, wetland elements and parking areas are also planned in this phase. . . .

Foster plans to meet with MFT officials in the next two to three weeks to discuss what to do first, he said. Completion is set for mid- or late 2012, depending on weather and river level conditions, he added. . . .

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Wed Sep 29, 2010 8:21 am

so they have the river side of the levee finally figured out: check. Now, on to the rest.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:20 am

Bluffs park design honored

The planned River’s Edge park project along the Missouri River will be in an elite class.

The American Institute of Architects Central States Region has honored the master plan and design of the 90-acre park taking shape at the foot of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which links Omaha and Council Bluffs. The park was among just 11 projects honored for excellence in design and construction from more than 300 entries. . . .

Jwunderlich · Post by **Jwunderlich** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:13 pm

Has anyone heard any new news on the development of the area?

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 9:08 am

Jwunderlich wrote:Has anyone heard any new news on the development of the area?

Well, the park construction is hung up on obtaining regulatory approvals from the State, so construction is going to be delayed for a while, which will probably bump costs up and mean dropping some feature.

As for the rest of the site, not sure what's happening anymore.

Jwunderlich · Post by **Jwunderlich** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 11:04 am

So spent all that time and money and it goes back to a green space.

And also do you know are they going to tear down the empty houses between A and B on 40Th or are they just going be left up for the vagrants and bums to occupy all winter.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 12:59 pm

Jwunderlich wrote:So spent all that time and money and it goes back to a green space.

And also do you know are they going to tear down the empty houses between A and B on 40Th or are they just going be left up for the vagrants and bums to occupy all winter.

If you're referring to the land on the dry side of the levee, I don't believe it is going back to a green space on a permanent basis, but I don't know where the development currently stands.

Those empty houses should be gone in the next month, bids close this Friday on demo, and contract awarded after bid closing, with 30 days to execute, from what I understand.

Jwunderlich · Post by **Jwunderlich** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 2:24 pm

Thanks for the information.

Jwunderlich · Post by **Jwunderlich** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:10 am

Anyone heard anything new about development. Heard rumors of buying houses on ave 40th and B to make room for Parking lots but as many of the other things said going to assume its just a rumor.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:24 am

Jwunderlich wrote:Anyone heard anything new about development. Heard rumors of buying houses on ave 40th and B to make room for Parking lots but as many of the other things said going to assume its just a rumor.

Starting on the South West Corner of 40th and B and working south along 40th street...

First lot is a private owner, next three lots are in a trust, the rest of the block is owned by the city.

The city owns everything on the other side of the street.

Jwunderlich · Post by **Jwunderlich** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:46 am

So is that first house by private owner staying or are they eventually going to be bought out as well and sorry i am confused by what a trust is in this situation does that mean Council bluffs is holding it or will it eventually become CB's property.

I live on the Northwest Corner of 41 and B any news or plans with those homes Specifically 4106 Ave B. :-)

As to property on other side do you know will it remain green space or are the planing on closing the road and extending the green and moving the road over to 41 I know they are working on the interstate in that area as well and from what I understand is everything is going to change in that area in regards to roads and interstate.

Post by **Brad** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:53 am

Not sure. I just pulled ownership information off of the Pottawattamie County GIS site:
http://gis3.pottcounty.com/giswebsite/

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:37 pm

Wasn't development of the greenspace on the wet side of the levee supposed to start this fall or early winter, once the water levels dropped? Does anyone have any progress updates on what' they've been doing.

I'll admit, I'm a lazy bum, and its just too cold to walk the 3 blocks to the river to see for myself...

Post by **Brad** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:40 pm

I don't know how much is getting done, but you can definitely see tracks in the snow where the equipment was working.

FamilyMan · Post by **FamilyMan** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:44 pm

My family and I live on 39th St. and for 5 years have been trying to obtain info from various city reps on what to expect down here. Our efforts intensified when the city purchased and demolished all the houses on the east side of 40th St.(essentially our backyard). Don Gross offered no explanation for the city spending what must be over a million dollars to buy and then demolish those properties, telling me that " they ",(whoever that is ?), are in the process of preparing amendments to the master plan to do something with that space..although he didn't know what. Seems to me that the plan should come before the demolition ? Truly frustrating since we have our home listed for sale but have had no offers due in part to the uncertainty about what they bought it for. Who would buy a house next to a 200 space parking lot ? Nobody, that's who.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:45 am

Looks like they are building a marina or something?

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 8:20 pm

No, not a marina. Might be where they're going to start the gradual slope from river's edge back towards the levee.

Jwunderlich · Post by **Jwunderlich** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:07 am

My family and I live on 39th St. and for 5 years have been trying to obtain info from various city reps on what to expect down here. Our efforts intensified when the city purchased and demolished all the houses on the east side of 40th St.(essentially our backyard). Don Gross offered no explanation for the city spending what must be over a million dollars to buy and then demolish those properties, telling me that " they ",(whoever that is ?), are in the process of preparing amendments to the master plan to do something with that space..although he didn't know what. Seems to me that the plan should come before the demolition ? Truly frustrating since we have our home listed for sale but have had no offers due in part to the uncertainty about what they bought it for. Who would buy a house next to a 200 space parking lot ? Nobody, that's who.

Agreed I live north of 41 and B and we have the same concerns and it hard to find information about what is actually going to happen as far as I have been able to find out i would think that area is going to be new interstate on ramps and such.

All i can find online.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Sun Feb 20, 2011 4:33 pm

Don't think the area will be overtaken by interstate ramps and such, presently there are two concepts for the interstate on that area, and in both cases they appear to be further from the neighborhood than presently.

http://www.iowadot.gov/cbinterstate/Segment4.asp

FamilyMan · Post by **FamilyMan** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:49 am

icejammer wrote:Don't think the area will be overtaken by interstate ramps and such, presently there are two concepts for the interstate on that area, and in both cases they appear to be further from the neighborhood than presently.

http://www.iowadot.gov/cbinterstate/Segment4.asp

John Carnes(sic) claims that the DOT has no interest in purchasing any more properties . Just got info from Don Gross that a half million in funds will be made available for homeowners to improve properties. He wasn't eager to share this info...which is typical. I spoke with another property owner who heard it rumored that bulk of the dry side will be commercial, not residential as shown in master plan. Which leads me to this question..Does the city not have any obligation to adhere to the master plan ?

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 9:58 am

FamilyMan wrote:Which leads me to this question..Does the city not have any obligation to adhere to the master plan ?

The short answer is "no." It depends on what they got back on RFPs, which are not required to adhere to the master plan; if the City receives proposals from various developers that don't adhere to the RFP, the City (usually) has the option to either reject or accept - just depends on how much the City is willing to let the process drag on and on and on....

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Mon Feb 28, 2011 10:22 am

it wouldn't surprise me if they had something figured out so that they can have ground broken and construction crews in the area by the time the CWS starts. the topic of conversation will consist of how developed the area is becoming on both sides, instead of visitors asking about that 'bridge to nowhere' (<--hate that expression.)