Eau Claire to Consider Feasibility Study for New Riverwalk District

The City of Eau Claire will be seeking proposals for a feasibility study on the creation of a new Riverwalk District over the coming weeks.

The proposed area is part of the larger Core Redevelopment District established by the Eau Claire City Council last month, which aims to revitalize aging housing stock, commercial properties, and underutilized land parcels across multiple neighborhoods. The designation is meant to act as a guide for long term planning decisions, but there are currently no specific projects planned in the area. It could also allow the City to pursue more state or federal funding to support future projects.

The Core Redevelopment District includes the Downtown, West Side, Northside Hill, Randall Park, and Shawtown neighborhoods of Eau Claire. The proposed Riverwalk District would cover the area around Menomonie Street and Water Street along the Chippewa River from the Sonnentag to Owen Park.

The goal of the feasibility study is to improve access to the riverfront for residents. It would also seek ways to better promote investment in that area, which could include things like business development or creating more public space along the Chippewa River.

City officials say they have a total budget of $160,000 for the feasibility study. They’re hoping the proposed improvements will also bring in additional tourism revenue, giving local residents more reasons to spend time and money in that area as well as drawing visitors from other communities.

They expect to have proposals ready to share with the Redevelopment Authority in September or October. The study would be conducted over a period of about six months if the Redevelopment Authority decides to move forward with one of those proposals.