Pearl Street Park and Donor Unveiled- Public Meeting October 25th- 7pm

The addition of downtown greenspace is a priority of City Council. A modest $50,000 was allocated in the FY 17 Capital Improvement Plan budget for park development. The

Parks and Recreation Department worked with students in the Urban and Regional Planning department at the University of Iowa earlier this year to develop a long-term vision for the park project as part of a greenspace study with the City, SIMPCO and Downtown Partners. The University of Iowa students developed two park design concepts.These concepts were shared with a local supporter who is an outstanding advocate of quality of life initiatives in the Sioux City metro. The Parks and Recreation Department is proud to announce that Regina Roth has pledged $500,000 towards the park project. This project would not have been possible without her very generous support. The contribution made it possible for the City to hire SmithGroupJJR of Madison, Wisconsin, a landscape architect firm, to develop a preliminary design for the park.

SmithGroupJJR worked with the Parks and Recreation Department staff and a group of stakeholders to fine-tune the concepts developed by the University of Iowa students. The City anticipates Pearl Street Park will become a popular destination in the downtown area for multiple users. It is conveniently located across from the LaunchPAD Children’s Museum and Ho-Chunk’s new market rate housing units. Once completed, the park will help attract customers of Food Truck Fridays, which was staged around the perimeter of the future park on 7^th Street this summer. These are just a few of the many local programs and businesses that will benefit from the park project. “The City has been working on bringing greenspace into the downtown area for several years and we are extremely excited to see it coming to fruition,” said Matt Salvatore, Parks and Recreation Director. “Not only are we adding much needed greenspace to this dense commercial area, we are developing a beautification project that will enhance the area and create a unique urban experience.”

Due to the generosity of Regina Roth, the dream of a public park in downtown will soon become a reality. Construction could begin in the spring, 2017. Interested citizens are welcome to learn more about the project by attending a public meeting on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, 7:00 p.m., City Hall, 5^th Floor Council Chambers, 405 6^th Street. RSVP here.