The new Coralville park will feature walking and biking trails, a nature center and a goat barn.

Coralville has adopted a master plan for a new 110-acre park on the city’s west side.

The city is eyeing a large open space near the still-under-construction University of Iowa Hospital in North Liberty.. The park will feature a variety of amenities, including walking and biking trails, a nature center and playground, a goat barn, picnic areas, educational areas and more.

The Coralville Parks and Recreation Department developed the plan in conjunction with a community-led committee. The group has set three goals they hope to achieve with the new park.

They want to strike a balance between pedestrian access and environmental preservation, while also providing easy access to the trail system to avoid congestion. The committee wants to develop trails that the community can use to “stop, reflect and learn from certain educational moments.” according to the planning presentation.

Parks and Recreation Director Sherry Proud presented the plan to the Coralville City Council, which approved it in August. She said the park will have three different trails: one hard trail for biking and walking, a natural trail for walking and a trail for mountain biking.

The park will begin just north of the newly built East Ridge Elementary School in Clear Creek Amana, a short walk or bike ride from the University of Iowa Research Park. The UI North Liberty medical campus would be within sight of the proposed nature center in the northeast corner of the park.

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The project will balance conservation and education

The 2021 Wetland Conservation Plan is already underway at the western end of the West Land Use site, the site of the proposed park.

Marshes are wetlands that “depend on groundwater supply and take thousands of years to develop and cannot be easily restored once destroyed.” according to the US Forest Service.

They are typically home to “rare plants, insects and small mammals.”

The park has one large and one small bog, as well as two bogs. All four areas will be easily visible along new trails dotted with various opportunities to learn about the plants and animals that call the area home.

The paths will also be closely separated from areas the city intends to preserve. Proud said the walking path, for example, would rise above the edge of the wetland.

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The park costs almost $9.5 million.

Preservation and development of the park will cost $9.41 million.

According to the master plan estimate, trails and park amenities such as picnic shelters are the most expensive. Seven shelters and several thousand feet of trail construction would cost just over $4 million.

Construction of the nature center and parking lot improvements will cost about $2.9 million, and site preparation and preservation work will cost about $757,000. A 15% contingency fee was also added to the final price for any construction related obstacles.

The estimated $300,000 cost of widening Jones Boulevard to improve access to the nature center has not been factored in, but is expected to be done in the coming years.

The park master plan lays out the framework for park development, although timelines have not yet been set. The project will be implemented in stages as grant funds and other sources of income become available.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be contacted at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on the Iowa City Press-Citizen website: A 110-acre Coralville park will feature a nature center and goat barn.