After decades of discussions and dreaming, Jefferson City entities may begin taking their first physical steps toward providing riverfront access as soon as next month.
An ad hoc committee fundraising for the bicentennial bridge announced Thursday it had secured more than 92 percent of funds for the project, enough for the project to move forward.
The estimated $4 million bridge would span about 826 feet down to a riverfront park on Adrian's Island. Between the Missouri River and Union Pacific Railroad tracks, Adrian's Island contains 30 acres of undeveloped forest and wetlands that stretch about 1 mile from the Missouri State Capitol to the former Missouri State Penitentiary.
Geotechnical surveys of Adrian's Island will take place between January and March, ad hoc committee member Jim Crabtree said Thursday. The city will also begin selecting a contractor to construct the bridge.
The city must select a contractor by Aug. 1, 2019, with the estimated completion date in mid- to late-2020, Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin said.
Crabtree remembers working on the bridge concept in the late 1980s, adding he is amazed by how the project has evolved over the decades.
"It's really interesting when you look at it from day one, we were really on the other side of the Capitol, down in the Millbottom, and we were going to tunnel under the bridge that the railroad has along Wear's Creek," Crabtree said. "When you look at how this has transitioned and grown and really become much more magnificent, it's really neat."
He and Tergin said they are excited for the project to finally show physical progression after years of discussions.
"It's going to be such an amazing gift to our community," Tergin said. "It will be here for generations to come. It's something we've really longed for for generations."
The Jefferson City Housing Authority currently owns Adrian's Island, but it agreed 10 years ago to convey the island to the city once it had a plan in place, Executive Director Cynthia Quetsch said Friday.
"The board has not changed its mind on that," Quetsch said, adding the board is moving forward.
Quetsch could not provide more details due to it being a sale of real estate, which was discussed in closed session.
The Jefferson City Council will hear a redevelopment contract with the Housing Authority regarding Adrian's Island on Monday.
Once the city owns the land, the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department will begin developing the riverfront park, Crabtree said.
The Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Commission will soon discuss the riverfront park and what elements it wants to incorporate, Parks Director Todd Spalding said, but he was unsure when those discussions will occur.
The park would contain passive recreation options, Crabtree said.
About 13 acres of Adrian's Island would be above the flood elevation Bartlett & West used, said Bob Gilbert, project managing engineer with Bartlett & West. Those 13 acres are where the bridge and most of the park would be located. The island has flooded five times since 2000, he added.
With different entities working on the project, Crabtree and Tergin said, the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce and an executive committee through the chamber will oversee the project.
The chamber will act as the "clearinghouse" and will not directly benefit financially from the project, Crabtree added.
Over the decades, the chamber has been one of the main entities spearheading the project, creating an ad hoc committee to work on it.
Initially, local entities planned to use a combination of grants, public funds and private donations to fund the project. While Jefferson City voters previously approved setting aside $438,000 in previous sales tax revenue, Jefferson City resident B.J. DeLong also pledged $1 million toward riverfront access a couple of years ago.
However, the ad hoc committee announced Thursday it would use only private funds, securing $3.7 million in donations.
Of that $3.7 million, $3.24 million will come from DeLong. This amount includes her $1 million pledge.
The City Council is set to vote on a resolution to accept her gift to the Jefferson City Parks and Recreation Foundation on Monday.
DeLong's gift must go toward the construction of the bridge, the resolution notes.
Committee members hope the $438,000 in sales tax revenue initially set aside for the construction of the bridge will go toward maintenance of the bridge instead.
Former Gov. Eric Greitens signed a bill earlier this summer that donated 0.19 acres between the Senate garage and Veterans Memorial to Jefferson City for construction of the bridge - which would contain overlooks for visitors and four railcar replicas that would feature walking museums.
The bridge would be ADA-accessible and allow emergency vehicles to drive on it.
"The Bicentennial Bridge will offer visitors a new and engaging way to experience the Capitol complex and Missouri River," said Diane Gillespie, Jefferson City Convention and Visitor's Bureau executive director. "The project gives us more opportunity to attract new tourists as well as those who have visited before. The bridge is going to be a prominent landmark people will travel to see."