An ambitious plan to bring new life to the riverfront in downtown Fort Dodge is the beneficiary of $4 million in state funding.

That grant money will help pay for a nature center and park on a now vacant stretch of land along the Des Moines River at First Street and Central Avenue. Construction of the nature center alone will cost $6.7 million, so it is easy to see how significant a $4 million grant will be in the financing of this project.

In fact, the grant equals 17 percent of the estimated cost of the entire project.

The project is a cooperative one between Webster County and the city of Fort Dodge, and is just the latest example of a growing collaboration between the two governments that was inconceivable decades ago. The key officials steering this project and the ones most responsible for securing the grant are Matt Cosgrove, director of Webster County Conservation, and Chad Schaeffer, the city’s chief development officer. We thank Cosgrove, Schaeffer and all those who worked with them to make this possible.

The grant came from the $100 million Destination Iowa program.

Here’s what’s included in the project:

• A 13,000-square-foot nature center

• Outdoor play area

• Trails and sidewalks

• Fishing jetties

Additionally, the city will be essentially rebuilding the section of First Street next to the new nature center and park.

Creating a regional hub for land and water recreation while at the same time revitalizing the area city officials refer to as the Central River District are the twin goals of the effort. Those are goals that we support and ought to be widely supported.

This project shows what can be done when the city and county work together. The end result will benefit everyone.