PROGRESS: Sioux City Riverfront takes on a new look

Back in 2015, Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore said the city submitted a request for quote for a master plan for the riverfront. Since then, he said, a host of people, including generous donors, have worked to make the improvements a reality.

Salvatore considers the completion of the riverfront development to be among his department’s most noteworthy projects in 2023. Total construction costs came in at $12 million.

"It's been a long time coming," Salvatore said. "There's a few finishing touches in the spring."

The grand opening event for the riverfront is slated to be held sometime in May.

Additions to the riverfront include overlooks, two large pavilions, trails, an interactive water fountain, playground, basketball court, event lawn, plaza and dog park.

Phase 1 of the project broke ground in June 2020 with construction starting just west of Virginia Street and ending at the Floyd River. That phase cost just under $6 million and included the construction of the Stockyard Gardens, a small picnic shelter, Promenade Path and passive lawn spaces.

In October 2021, the Sioux City Council approved a resolution to accept $200,000 from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund Program for the construction of the Floyd Boulevard Pavilion. Later that same month, the city received a $1 million contribution from an unnamed donor that allowed project to be finished in its entirety. 

The council awarded a $3.7 million contract to W.A. Klinger, LLC for phase 2 of the project. But due to the available funding on the bid date, the council voted to only move forward with construction of the Floyd Shelter and the base bid, which included site preparation and demolition, as well as partial structure removal, site grading, filling, landscaping, trails and a fountain/spray feature.

At the time, Salvatore said the project was facing a $50,000 funding deficit and that several items were not included in the construction bid that were programmed to be purchased and installed separately for the project, including site furnishings for the shelters and park signage.

The council approved a change order to the contract in October of 2021 in the amount of $973,704 for the addition of Virginia Overlook and Plaza, as well as Virginia Shelter, which brought the new contract sum to $4,687,113.