North Liberty seeking community support for Centennial Park’s ‘next stage’

NORTH LIBERTY — North Liberty is seeking community support to take Centennial Park to the “next stage.”

The “Building North Liberty’s Next Stage” campaign has a goal of raising $1 million from the community to push forward plans that would transform Centennial Park into a regional attraction and venue for community events, concerts, festivals and other gatherings.

The project’s vision includes an indoor event space, outdoor stage, open air pavilion, splash pad and more.

The $16 million project will be funded through a variety of public and private resources, according to the city. Communications director Nick Bergus said this month that the city is more than halfway there to the $16 million.

North Liberty has committed American Rescue Plan dollars and local funds, along with state and federal grants, Bergus said. The city applied to the state’s Destination Iowa program for project funding but was not selected.

“North Liberty Next Stage builds a regional asset that also answers the call we’ve heard from people who love this town: space to connect, play and explore,” Mayor Chris Hoffman said in a statement.

Hoffman said North Liberty’s location — “in the heart of Eastern Iowa” and close to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids — makes Centennial Park “perfectly situated for regional events.”

“Think Iowa City conservatively estimates this project will inject more than $11.5 million of economic activity into our community each year,” the city said on the project’s website.

The city purchased land for the park in 2010 and developed a master plan for it in 2012. Centennial Park, the city’s largest park, opened in 2013. It is home to a variety of events already, including Blues & BBQ, concerts, kite festivals and more.

The city held four information sessions about the project this month, including one that was held virtually and can be viewed online.

“We believe that Centennial Park will be the showstopping location that people are going to rave about when they talk about North Liberty, when they talk about Johnson County,” Jillian Miller, community engagement coordinator, said in the April 11 online information session.

The event center — which is being called the Centennial Center — would be the “heart of the park,” the city said. This is the first piece of the project that will be constructed, Miller said.

The 13,000-square-foot event center could accommodate events with attendance of up to 300 people and include an outdoor stage for free and ticketed events. The outdoor, 2,700-square-foot stage could entertain audiences of 500 to 10,000 people for school concerts, dance recitals, touring artists, diverse performances and more.

An open air pavilion is also proposed and could be a flexible program space for farmers markets, ceremonies and a seasonal outdoor ice rink. A splash pad would be an option for families to cool off and play in the summer heat, the city said.

The city of North Liberty wants to develop Centennial Park as a key amenity for the city's residents and for the region. This is a rendering of the splash pad. (City of North Liberty)

The city of North Liberty wants to develop Centennial Park as a key amenity for the city's residents and for the region. This is a rendering of the honor garden. (City of North Liberty)

The “honor garden” will be a space for those visiting to honor North Liberty veterans and those who have died in combat.

There are also plans for expansive plaza space and pathways, along with restrooms, shelters and additional parking to accommodate all types of events.

Engineering is anticipated to begin this year with the Centennial Center opening to the public in 2025, the city said.

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