(Arnolds Park)– The Arnolds Park City Council Wednesday reviewed updated plans from Imagine Iowa Great Lakes for beautification of the amusement park waterfront and promenade areas.
The update was presented by Brad Beck of Beck Engineering, which is overseeing some of the planning and design work for the beautification group.
Beck told the council plans have been revised to include a wooden board walk along the Arnolds Park waterfront from Zephyr Drive to the beach and volleyball courts, with a concrete walkway behind it and some grasses on the other side of the concrete.
Plans call for the promenade along the green space area, or Preservation Plaza, to include some natural stone pillars, prairie plantings, some bio retention features, walk and bike paths, and decorative lighting and planters.
Beck told the council they still plan to start work in that area this fall with the goal of having that part of the project done by next spring. However he said that could hinge on the timing of getting some permits that are needed for the boardwalk project.
Beck said the Lake Street portion of the project won’t get started until the fall of 2019, once construction of the new Roof Garden is completed.
The Arnolds Park Amusement Park is an ‘Icon’ for the
Iowa Great Lakes community and the State of Iowa. When
the thousands of guests visit the area they come to
HAPI — or Historic Arnolds Park, Inc.
It has become the Center, the Gathering Place, the Heart
of this fantastic place known as Okoboji. The Magical Memories
of things that we all remember, be it when we were Young,
Middle-aged or Old, of this very Special OKOBOJI PLACE–
come back to us and we can re-live them over and over again
in the Arnolds Park Amusement Park complex.
The restoration that has happened in the past two years to
OUR PARK, OUR HAPI and the continuing work in progress for
the next year or so, is almost unbelievable–It is so Beautiful.
The entire complex just makes ‘my heart sing’ when I see all
ages and generations having such a glorious time together.
The ‘Park’ is really alive again and with a shiney, squeaky
-clean new FACE !
I want to thank the person who had such a vision, to make
it happen and to all of those who contributed as well — Let
us hope that the Memorable Moments, in HAPI and of Okoboji
will continue for the next one-hundred years.
It is a place that takes us all back to another time as we live in
our ‘own’ generation. Long Live the Park.
Delores Maser