With the bicentennial bridge to Adrian's Island becoming a reality after decades of talk, the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission is beginning design discussions for the new riverfront park.
During Tuesday's meeting, Todd Spalding, Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry director, told the commission that several entities were working on a development agreement for the proposed 826-foot bridge leading down to a riverfront park on Adrian's Island.
The island consists of 30 acres of forest and wetlands that lie between the Missouri River and Union Pacific Railroad tracks that stretch about 1 mile from the Missouri State Capitol to the former Missouri State Penitentiary.
Spalding said he hoped the agreement would be finalized within the next 30-45 days, which means the commission may move toward developing the new park soon.
The park would contain passive reaction options, such as trails, benches and lookout areas, Spalding said. This passive use is especially important due to the possibility of flooding.
About 13 acres of the island would be above the flood elevation Bartlett & West used, Bartlett & West Project Managing Engineer Bob Gilbert said previously. Those 13 acres are where the bridge and most of the park would be located. The island has flooded five times since 2000, he added.
While flooding is a concern, commissioner Bill Plank said, he noted 80 percent of state parks are within floodplains.
Plank added the park would provide nature lessons for school-aged children.
"From a park perspective, I love it," said Plank, who also serves as chairman of the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors. "This could be a hallmark park of Jefferson City."
Spalding said he hopes the Parks department will work on the park at the same time a contractor constructs the bridge.
The city has until August 2019 to select a contractor to construct the bridge, with construction lasting about a year.
"We hope to do some things when this development agreement gets done so that we can start clearing (the brush) out," Spalding said.
Since 2007, the Parks department has set aside nearly $700,000 for the riverfront park. Spalding said this money no longer has to go toward construction of the bridge and could go toward maintenance and creation of the new park.
If the commission set aside $300,000 for maintenance, Spalding said as an example, that would leave approximately $400,000 for constructing the park.
"We could provide a nice passive park for that amount of money," he said.
Since the Parks department is expected to construct this bridge, commissioner Denise Chapel said, she suggested speaking with city officials regarding how to fund the park and if there are opportunities to expand the department's budget to include funds for the bridge.
An ad hoc committee created by the chamber announced a couple of weeks ago that it fundraised $3.7 million of the estimated $4 million needed to construct the bridge. The $3.7 million is from private donors, committee members previously said.
Jefferson City voters approved setting aside $438,000 in previous sales tax revenue for the bicentennial bridge but the city agreed to set that money aside for maintenance instead of construction of the bridge.
The bridge would contain overlooks for visitors and four railcar replicas that would feature walking museums. The bridge would also be ADA-accessible and allow emergency vehicles to drive on it.
In other business, the commission awarded the design request for qualification of McClung and Ellis-Porter Riverside parks to Architects Alliance.
During a meeting in October, the commission listed McClung Park, at 930 McClung Park Drive, and Ellis-Porter Riverside Park, at 300 Ellis-Porter Drive, as its second and third priority projects. Community Park, at 725 Marshall St., was listed as the commission's No. 1 priority.
The parks master plan suggested an 80-foot Capitol viewing tower, splash pad play area, upgraded playground and renovating the dance hall at the 45-acre McClung Park.
The estimated cost for all suggested changes and additions listed in the master plan is $5 million-$7 million, the plan states.
The master plan recommends a new community amphitheater, destination play structure that is ADA accessible, community gardens, shelter improvements and aquatics venue for the 62-acre Ellis-Porter Riverside Park.
The estimated cost for all suggested changes is $23 million-$35 million, according to the plan.
The commission plans to pursue $11 million in bonds to pay projects in the parks master plan, which outlines improvements to the local parks system over the next 10-20 years.