Iowa City plans for redevelopment south of downtown

The city of Iowa City is rolling out plans for a major redevelopment of the area south of downtown.

The goal is to have a walkable and transit-friendly neighborhood that offers a mix of housing, commercial and recreational opportunities.

The city has come up with a new name for the area, the Riverfront Crossings District. It's roughly bordered by Burlington Street on the north, Highway 6 on the south, Gilbert Street on the east and the Iowa River on the west.

A kickoff presentation with experts on urban design and transportation will be held Nov. 11. An open house and a public input session will be Nov. 13.

The area already is the focus of a couple of major potential projects:

• The University of Iowa is considering relocating Hancher Auditorium south of Burlington Street.

• There's a lot of interest in a possible Iowa City-to-Chicago Amtrak line and a separate light-rail service between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Local officials want to use an old train depot at Wright and Clinton streets as the hub for those rail services.

Flood protection will be another part of the project. It will include the relocation of the north wastewater treatment plant, which is one of the city's priorities following last year's flood.

Areas susceptible to flooding will remain open space, interim City Manager Dale Helling said.

Much of the Riverfront Crossings District is privately owned. Helling expects both the public and private sectors to participate in the work. State and federal agencies also are involved.

The redevelopment will be a long-term project likely to be done in phases.

“It sounds like one project, but really it will be a conglomerate of what we anticipate will be a number of redevelopment projects,” Helling said.

The work may begin with the wastewater treatment plant, Helling said, although the city is still waiting for word on funding.

The city of Iowa City is rolling out plans for a major redevelopment of the area south of downtown.

The goal is to have a walkable and transit-friendly neighborhood that offers a mix of housing, commercial and recreational opportunities.

The city has come up with a new name for the area, the Riverfront Crossings District. It's roughly bordered by Burlington Street on the north, Highway 6 on the south, Gilbert Street on the east and the Iowa River on the west.

A kickoff presentation with experts on urban design and transportation will be held Nov. 11. An open house and a public input session will be Nov. 13.

The area already is the focus of a couple of major potential projects:

• The University of Iowa is considering relocating Hancher Auditorium south of Burlington Street.

• There's a lot of interest in a possible Iowa City-to-Chicago Amtrak line and a separate light-rail service between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Local officials want to use an old train depot at Wright and Clinton streets as the hub for those rail services.

Flood protection will be another part of the project. It will include the relocation of the north wastewater treatment plant, which is one of the city's priorities following last year's flood.

Areas susceptible to flooding will remain open space, interim City Manager Dale Helling said.

Much of the Riverfront Crossings District is privately owned. Helling expects both the public and private sectors to participate in the work. State and federal agencies also are involved.

The redevelopment will be a long-term project likely to be done in phases.

“It sounds like one project, but really it will be a conglomerate of what we anticipate will be a number of redevelopment projects,” Helling said.

The work may begin with the wastewater treatment plant, Helling said, although the city is still waiting for word on fundingThe city of Iowa City is rolling out plans for a major redevelopment of the area south of downtown.

The goal is to have a walkable and transit-friendly neighborhood that offers a mix of housing, commercial and recreational opportunities.

The city has come up with a new name for the area, the Riverfront Crossings District. It's roughly bordered by Burlington Street on the north, Highway 6 on the south, Gilbert Street on the east and the Iowa River on the west.

A kickoff presentation with experts on urban design and transportation will be held Nov. 11. An open house and a public input session will be Nov. 13.

The area already is the focus of a couple of major potential projects:

• The University of Iowa is considering relocating Hancher Auditorium south of Burlington Street.

• There's a lot of interest in a possible Iowa City-to-Chicago Amtrak line and a separate light-rail service between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Local officials want to use an old train depot at Wright and Clinton streets as the hub for those rail services.

Flood protection will be another part of the project. It will include the relocation of the north wastewater treatment plant, which is one of the city's priorities following last year's flood.

Areas susceptible to flooding will remain open space, interim City Manager Dale Helling said.

Much of the Riverfront Crossings District is privately owned. Helling expects both the public and private sectors to participate in the work. State and federal agencies also are involved.

The redevelopment will be a long-term project likely to be done in phases.

“It sounds like one project, but really it will be a conglomerate of what we anticipate will be a number of redevelopment projects,” Helling said.

The work may begin with the wastewater treatment plant, Helling said, although the city is still waiting for word on funding.

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