Sunner Park Won’t Disappear During Amphitheater Construction

CEDAR RAPIDS- Plans to construct a multi-million dollar amphitheater along the banks of the Cedar River this year will mean relocating a tribute to a fallen Cedar Rapids police officer.

The city created Bret Sunner Park after the Cedar Rapids officer was shot and killed in 1984.  Sunner was responding to a domestic call at the time. He is the last Cedar Rapids police officer to die in the line of duty.

The small park sits next to the current Cedar Rapids police station and it also takes up part of the area designated for amphitheater development.

City parks crews removed trees in recent weeks to get a head start on development.  The actual earthmoving equipment should roll in sometime later this year.  But the markers, bench and other memorial tributes to the slain officer won't get lost during the construction.

Captain Bernie Walther was one of the officers who helped created the memorial park bearing Sunner's name.  Walther said other city departments know decisions must be made about the current memorial area before work begins in earnest.

“We're in discussion of that with the parks department.  They're aware of our concerns that the park needs to be thought of,” Walther said.

Captain Walther said one idea is to move the tribute markers and other items pertaining to Sunner to a spot right next to the police station.  Another idea is to create a new memorial park in green space that will adjoin the new amphitheater.

Families of crime victims also created tributes to lost loved ones in the Sunner Park area.  Those tributes include bricks inscribed with the names of crime victims who died.  Officials said a new “crime victim's park” is being created at the 6

Some of the tributes to crime victims included trees planted over the years.  Parks officials were unsure if those memorial trees were cut down by crews weeks ago or if some were saved and could possibly be replanted later.

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District Correctional Services Department offices on 29

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Avenue S.W. in Cedar Rapids.  Those items now at Sunner Park will be moved there later this spring.