WATERLOO — A new shelter and trail in Waterloo are among the final pieces of a transformation of a flood-raved neighborhood into a riverfront recreation area.
A $200,000 grant from Iowa’s Resource Enhancement and Protection program will fund the new shelter, parking lot and trail in Waterloo’s Sherwood Park Recreation Area.
“The whole idea is to take land that really can’t be used for anything else and make it into a useful water- and trail-based recreation area,” said Waterloo Leisure Services Director Paul Huting.
"The frequent and severe flooding limits what we can do in the area."
The shelter is being built to withstand heavy flooding, Huting said.
Only a few homes and private lots remain in Sherwood Park, which sits on the banks of the Cedar River. The government used a federal buyout program to acquire about 60 homes in the area that were left uninhabitable after heavy flooding in 1993 and 2008.
The city has partnered with the Black Hawk County Conservation Board to redevelop and manage the area.
Grout Museum District staff will add panels along the trail with information about the area’s history.
Work on the project has been delayed multiple times due to high water and water damage led to an additional $16,000 in repairs. Construction is expected to be completed by late summer or early fall.