NEWS

Rapids riverfront development plans delayed

Jonathan Anderson
Daily Tribune Media

WISCONSIN RAPIDS - The city’s $9.5 million proposal to revitalize property and enhance recreation along the Wisconsin River has been delayed, but it could be back on track in the coming months.

In September, a New York-based architect presented concepts to redevelop space along the Wisconsin River between Henry Demitz Park and the city’s boundary with the village of Biron. The plan could include terraces and a floating boardwalk, large swings at Mead Rapids View Park, a nature conservancy and various play areas for children.

City planners had hoped the City Council would approve the project in October, but that has not happened, according to Adam Tegen, the city’s director of planning and economic development.

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At issue is a river wall between the Wisconsin Rapids dam and the Grand Avenue bridge, which protects the east side of the riverfront from erosion and flooding, according to Tegen. An engineering firm has conducted tests on the structural integrity of the wall — engineers visually inspected the wall and took core samples from it — and the city is waiting for results of the testing, which took longer than expected.

“Ultimately, the city doesn’t want to start with some improvements on parts along the river wall and be gearing up for something like that and then find out that a lot of money or effort needs to be put into the river wall,” Tegen said.

The $9.5 million cost estimate of the proposed redevelopment does not cover repair work that could be necessary to rehabilitate the river wall; the estimate is also separate from $120,000 the city has paid for architectural services, which includes the cost of testing the wall.

Test results and the engineering firm’s recommendations could be available in the next two weeks, and the City Council could vote on the redevelopment proposal in December or January.

“We’re hopeful that what we’ll find out is that the wall is structurally okay,” Tegen said.

Jonathan Anderson can be reached at jonathan.anderson@gannettwisconsin.com or 715-898-7010. Find him on Twitter as @jonathanderson.