Iowa City receives $50,000 grant for Riverfront Crossings Park

IOWA CITY - Riverfront Crossings Park got a financial boost Thursday in the form of a $50,000 grant to help create the park's nature play area.

The grant is from the National Recreation and Park Association and the Walt Disney Co. and is meant to increase access to play spaces, according to a news release. The nature play area will include traditional aspects like swings and a slide, as well as nature 'exploration” features made from the land, landscaping and creek, according to the release.

The park, which is under construction at 1001 Clinton St. and is scheduled to open next year, is part of a larger Riverfront Crossing District. Much of the district is being redeveloped into housing and businesses.

The park was created as part of a flood mitigation effort. After 2008, the city demolished a wastewater treatment plant on the land.

The first phase of construction includes tasks like grading and tree removal.

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