Iowa City to establish new park, renovate others

IOWA CITY — Iowa City is investing more than $590,000 to improve amenities at College Green Park, Brookland Park, Calder Park, and to establish a new park at 1001 Shannon Dr.

The city is planning to award a bid to a contractor next month, and construction is expected to begin in the spring. The estimated completion date for the project is fall 2025.

The project, which includes updates to playgrounds, basketball courts and trails, is part of the city’s 2017 park master plan.

Park updates come in the midst of the city’s replacement of 76-year-old City Park Pool, a project that’s estimated to cost more than $18 million. The city has approved a preliminary concept, but specific design processes are ongoing, with an official plan expected in early 2025.

Adelaide Joy Rogers Park

The new park, located in the southwest part of town at 1001 Shannon Dr., will have a small circular trail surrounding a playground and shelter area. There will be no restrooms available.

“It is one of the areas called out in the park master plan as needing more active use recreation space so this does that quite nicely,” Juli Seydell Johnson, Iowa City Director of Parks and Recreation, said at a city council meeting.

The playground will have a small swing set and play structure.

The park will be named Adelaide Joy Rogers Park after lifelong Iowa City resident Adelaide Joy Rogers. Joy Rogers ran for parks commissioner in 1921. Though she did not win the election, she was a strong advocate for increasing recreational opportunities for girls and women.

“That itself was radical, even more so that she had the courage to run and the courage to use the name she preferred, including her maiden name,” Iowa City resident Kevin Boyd said of Joy Rogers’ campaign. “And that may well have been the reason she was 57 votes short of winning.”

Boyd, who is a longtime Iowa City resident, brought the idea of naming the park after Joy Rogers to the Parks and Recreation Commission. More than 35 other names were considered.

College Green Park

College Green Park, 600 E. College St., will be getting a new playground, basketball court, sidewalks and cornhole boards.

Seydell Johnson said the College Green Park basketball court is one of the most heavily used courts in the city.

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There will be a small circle on the court to honor former Iowa women’s basketball player Caitlin Clark’s shot — made at Carver-Hawkeye Arena earlier this year — that made her the all-time leading scorer in NCAA basketball history.

Brookland Park

The layout of Brookland park, located at 550 Greenwood Dr., will stay the same, just with updated playground equipment and new paths.

Seydell Johnson said the lack of paved paths to the playground equipment presented accessibility concerns at the park.

“I very much appreciate the focus on making all these parks accessible. Sometimes people complain ‘why are we updating this park?’ and then we explain it’s to improve accessibility and people say ‘oh that makes sense, that’s the right thing to do’,” Iowa City Council member Josh Moe said at a city council meeting.

Calder Park

Calder Park, located at 2831 Hickory Trl., will be getting additional paths throughout the park.

“It’s a great little park, but the distance of the playground, shelter and the fire ring are quite a ways from Hickory Trail and it’s never had an accessible path to it,” said Seydell Johnson.

The new trails will connect the nearby Monument Hills subdivision to the playground and the other trails in the area.

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