Cedar Lake in Cedar Rapids is Going to Get a $20 Million Makeover

It's finally happening!

After years and years of planning, Cedar Lake in Cedar Rapids is about to get a major makeover. According to a new article from the Cedar Rapids Gazette, "the ConnectCR group announced it had locked in all needed funding for a $20 million project to revitalize the lake north of downtown and construct a pedestrian-bike bridge spanning the Cedar River to the south of downtown."

ConnectCR started their fundraising campaign for the new project back in 2019, and finally reached their goal thanks to an anonymous $1 million donation. The project will officially begin this fall, but it isn't expected to be completed until 2025.

According to ConnectCR's Facebook page, the major project is actually two different projects. The first goal is to turn Cedar Lake into a recreation area with an active trail and spots for fishing, paddle sports, and birdwatching. In addition to that, there are also plans to preserve the wetlands and add a playground for kids. The other part of the project is much larger. ConnectCR's Facebook page reads:

"The south bookend of ConnectCR is the ConnectCR pedestrian/trail bridge that will allow for safer passage over the Cedar River. This bridge enhances recreational opportunities for bicyclists, joggers, and walkers as well as families looking to cross the river with no vehicle traffic nearly. Plans call for transforming a washed out railroad bridge destroyed in the historic 2008 flood into an iconic bridge for our community. Located in the river near Mount Trashmore, the bridge will connect the NewBo and Czech Village neighborhoods."

There will be a lot of construction happening these next few years, but once it's done, Cedar Lake is going to be very impressive! Here are some photos of what the area is expected to look like when it's complete:

You can read more about the ConnectCR project from the Cedar Rapids Gazette HERE.