The snow is gone and contractors in Council Bluffs are busy clearing space for what city leaders hope will become one of the community’s crowning jewels. Larry Foster, director of Council Bluffs Parks and Recreation, says chainsaw crews have been buzzing all week.
Foster says the crews have been removing trees to create what will become the Great Lawn and the roadway that will provide access to the new Riverfront Park. The park is being constructed at the foot of a towering footbridge that rises over the Missouri River, linking Council Bluffs with Omaha. The 22-million dollar pedestrian bridge opened in the fall of 2008. Foster says the park is beginning to take shape.
“All of the trees that need to be removed are on the ground,” Foster says. “Some of them have been removed from the site. Others will have to be chipped and removed. Now, people from Omaha can look across and get a feel for what this massive park space is going to look like.” Soon enough, he says the park will host many outdoor activities.
The Great Lawn will be a place for people to come together for festivals and celebrations, education space and concerts.
By Karla James