City Awards First Contract For Riverwalk Renovation
CHICAGO (STMW) -- The construction contract to build out the first three blocks of the Chicago Riverwalk has been awarded to Walsh Construction, the low bidder, according to city officials.
Walsh bid $43 million to build the riverwalk from State Street to LaSalle Street, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. The project is set to be completed by the end of 2014.
The plans to turn a six-block stretch of the downtown riverfront into an attractive riverwalk include themes for each block, including The Marina between State and Dearborn; The Cove between Dearborn and Clark; The River Theater between Clark and LaSalle; The Swimming Hole between LaSalle and Wells; The Jetty between Wells and Franklin; and The Boardwalk between Franklin and Lake, a CDOT statement said.
"The Chicago River is our second shoreline, which has played such a critical role in Chicago's early history, the development of our industry, and our quality of life," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in the statement. "With the reinvention of the downtown Riverwalk, we are making the Chicago River into the city's new recreational frontier."
A bid process for construction of the remaining three blocks, from LaSalle to Lake, is scheduled for spring 2014, according to CDOT.
In March, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the city a $100 million federal loan for construction of the project.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
