Work will begin next year on long-awaited ConnectCR project

CEDAR RAPIDS — After decades of planning, work will begin soon on ConnectCR’s plans to “change the face of Cedar Rapids” with what will be the city’s largest public-private partnership.

The ConnectCR project, whose beginnings go back to the 1970s, will include enhancements to recreation around Cedar Lake, and construction of a new pedestrian bridge connecting Czech Village and New Bohemia.

The Cedar Rapids City Council received an update on the project at its meeting Tuesday.

City Council member Dale Todd, who has for decades been a key member of the grassroots group pushing for the project, said it’s taken longer than anticipated to get to this point due to its “moving parts” and “enormity.”

“But when this thing is said and done, it's going to change the face of Cedar Rapids in a way that I don't think a lot of us realize at this point,” Todd said.

The timeline calls for progress to begin this fall when the city goes out for bids on the bridge, and work on both pieces of the project will ramp up next year.

What does the project include?

There are two parts to the ConnectCR project, whose tagline is “lake to bridge.”

Improvements to Cedar Lake will include a new trail on the east side of the lake, fishing piers, jetties, an ADA-compliant kayak launch, a playground, shelter and restrooms.

Work on the Cedar Lake trail enhancements is scheduled to begin by summer 2025, and other amenities will come in the fall next year.

The second part of the project is the Alliant Energy LightLine bridge. The bridge will be 18 feet wide and can be used by pedestrians and bicyclists, with room to travel, or sit and take in the scenery. The bridge will be lit with internal and external lights whose color can be changed.

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Tom Peffer, a member of the ConnectCR governing board, said design of the bridge is nearly complete, and ConnectCR has the permits needed for trail work at the lake. He said planning the project has been “complicated,” but “gratifying.”

“It's time consuming, it's complicated, but when we get a restored Cedar Lake with all the amenities and when we get the Alliant Energy LightLine bridge constructed, we're all going to be really proud of what we did together,” Peffer said.

Cedar Rapids Community Development Director Jennifer Pratt, who joined Peffer to present the update at Tuesday’s meeting, pointed to the project’s connection to other city projects, including the flood control system and stormwater filtration goals.

“Each of these projects is iconic and amazing in their own rights, but I also wanted to point out how impactful it is when we consider these two projects are so in alignment and intertwined with other community initiatives that we have underway,” Pratt said.

How is it funded?

ConnectCR has collected private and public money to fund the $20 million price tag for the project. Peffer outlined those funding sources during Tuesday’s presentation:

In particular, Peffer highlighted the 300 donors who have pledged $8.3 million. Individual donations ranged from $1 to $1,000,000.

Alliant Energy, which owned Cedar Lake and turned over ownership to the City of Cedar Rapids for $1, also gave $1 million to the project, and the bridge will bear the company’s name.

LightLine Loop project contract delayed

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the city council’s agenda included awarding a contract for the LightLine Loop, but that decision was delayed.

The project — which is different from the Alliant Energy LightLine Bridge — will incorporate a rebuilt roundhouse building, a pedestrian promenade, a parking lot and an extension to 18th Avenue SW. Construction is anticipated to start in spring 2025.

The project received six bids, all of which came in above the $12.3 million estimated cost. The low bid was $13.8 million, and the highest bid was $15.5 million.

City Engineer Ken DeKeyser said the overage could be attributed to the roundhouse building and its “unique elements.”

The bids will go back to the council at its next meeting, after city staff have had time to make a recommendation.

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com