City, county get additional $400,000 for riverfront

Money will help pay for parking lot near pavilion

Fort Dodge and Webster County will be receiving an additional $408,900 from the state to help pay for improvements along the riverfront near downtown.

The additional money will help to pay for a new parking lot to be built directly south of the large pavilion under construction along First Street.

This additional project will have to be completed by Nov 15, according to the terms of the grant.

The money is actually coming from the federal COVID pandemic relief package called the American Rescue Plan Act. The funds are being channeled through the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The state is required to use all of its American Rescue Plan Act money by the end of this year. That is why the city and county have a relatively tight timeframe in which to complete the project.

The Fort Dodge City Council on Monday authorized City Manager David Fierke to sign all the necessary agreements with the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and to get the project started.

The pavilion is near the intersection of First Street and Central Avenue, south of the Matt Cosgrove River's Edge Discovery Center.

It will be a very large version of the picnic shelters commonly found in parks. It will be able to seat 200 people.

Jensen Builders Ltd., of Fort Dodge, has a $1,635,795 contract to build it.

The city and county had previously received a $400,000 state Community Attraction and Tourism grant to help pay for it.

A large concrete base for the pavilion has been put in place. A nearby restroom building is being constructed.