River Walk - Rum River Trail West

Progression

• The City began studying this corridor in 2013, identifying key areas along the corridor that would impact redevelopment.
• In 2016, the City purchased 3 properties along the Rum River, which were an integral part of transitioning from a corridor study to the creation of the River Walk conceptual plan.
• In January of 2017, the City removed the buildings located on the newly acquired properties. This opened up views of the Rum River, the Main Street Bridge and the historic downtown from the northbound lanes of Ferry Street quickly changing the landscape and visual experience as you enter Anoka.
• Over the next year or so, the City will work to further refine the concept and create a master plan, construction phasing for open space areas and trail, and possible funding sources. Construction will take several years to complete and will include funding from multiple grant sources, park capital funds, and park dedication funds.
• In fall of 2020, the Park and Recreation Advisory Board hired the local firm, New History, to perform a re-evaluation of the amphitheater in regard to its designation on the  national registry designation. The full report completed February 2021 and presentation notes from the park board meeting on February 23, 2021 are located below. 

Resources

View the River Walk Video Presentation. The River Walk conceptual plan was developed as means to demonstrate what the South Ferry Street corridor could look like. The River Walk concept was presented to the City Council in February 2016 and several boards/commissions in October 2016. The presentation was made by Geoff Martin, Landscape Architect from Kimley-Horn.