The City of Cedar Falls is excited to announce that the Cedar River Recreational Project has been selected for a U.S Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant of up to $1,500,000.
The grant was highly competitive with the EDA receiving application submissions totaling $1.38 billion for $240 million in available funds. Funding comes through the FY2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation recovery and resilience assistance.
"The Cedar River Recreational Project presents a major transformation not only for the Cedar River, but for the community as a whole," said Cedar Falls Community Development Director Stephanie Houk Sheetz. "It will connect residents and visitors to the river, improve safety and accessibility for all, enhance aquatic life and opportunities, plus provide family-friendly activities. We are thrilled to receive this grant to help our project move forward. "
Improvements to the area as part of the project include multiple kayak play areas, fishing jetties, habitat spawning pools, and water access points along with riverbank improvements.
"The application for the grant was a tremendous collaboration from City staff including the Cedar Falls Tourism and Visitor Bureau alongside our partners at Cedar Falls Community Main Street and the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments (INRCOG)," said Director Sheetz. "It truly was a team effort as we work together to bring this amazing opportunity to our area."
The next step in the EDA grant process is to approve a grant agreement. The City is working on revisions to the project plans, anticipating bidding the project in late summer/early fall, for a potential start of construction in late 2022. It is anticipated to be a year-long construction project. The City will continue to share updates on the project to the public as it progresses.
For more information on the Cedar River Recreational Project, visit bit.ly/CedarRiverProject.