Riverfront Crossings Project Plan Gets Thumbs up from Iowa City Council

It may take a few decades to be fully realized, but the Riverfront Crossings District project cleared another early hurdle Tuesday night.

members unanimously approved the initial sub-area plan for the district on Tuesday night during their formal meeting. The area that was approved includes a space defined by Riverside Drive to the West, Gilbert Street to the East, and Highway 6 and Burlington Street as the bottom and top boundaries respectively.

The point of this phase of the project, said Robert Miklo, senior planner with the city's planning and community development department, is to turn a negative into a positive. Since the city will have to move the wastewater treatment plant at 1000 S. Clinton St. out of the Iowa River floodplain area following the 2008 flood, the city can turn that land it already owns into parks, mixed use residential properties and walkable areas next to the river and encourage developers to invest in building there again.

"We saw this as an opportunity to reclaim the flood plain for a major city park," Miklo told the council.

Miklo said the plan is for the city to develop the area it owns, and then property owners who own much of the nearby land will be encouraged to either develop it into riverfront property or sell it to others who are interested in doing the same.

"The plan doesn't call for the city to buy private property and redevelop, the plan is to leave that to the private sector," Miklo said.

Council member Susan Mims said she wants to encourage a healthy cooperation between the city and developers.

"It's important to try to find that balance to give developers an idea for what we want in that area, while giving them the flexibility to be creative," Mims said.

Fellow council member Regenia Bailey said she is very excited for the plan, and that in this time of economic uncertainty, it is important for the city to invest in its own development.

"I think this is one of the most exciting things we've talked about since I've been on the council," Bailey said.

Miklo said it would likely take three or four years before the north wastewater plant was removed and consolidated with the city's other plant, and several years beyond that before the project is fully completed. But this is a start, he said.

On the heels of the vote, the city announced Wednesday afternoon that it would be hosting downtown Iowa City and Riverfront Crossings project planning workshops next Tuesday and Wednesday.