Overview
The City of Mishawaka commissioned DLZ in 2011 to develop a master plan to promote and guide the extension of the Mishawaka Riverwalk along the Saint Joseph River.
Process
The master plan included inventory and analysis, preliminary concept, budget, and delineation of property acquisition needs. DLZ then assisted the City acquiring the new riverfront right-of-way, completed topographic survey, prepared design and construction documents for bidding, permitting services including Construction Stormwater General Permit, IDNR Construction in a Floodway (and required mitigation monitoring), and IDEM’s 401/404 for work within the Ordinary High-Water Mark, bid phase services, and construction phase office and field observation services.
The DLZ team designed the 0.25-mile trail alignment and identified the need for four unique trail sections. These included a standard at-grade trail section, an elevated trail section of precast panels on helical piers, a section bearing on existing retaining wall, and a section supported by a new large format modular block wall. Key connections included a new trailhead at Race Street, connection to an event center and public housing, and a memorial garden at the east project terminus. The garden was developed in memory of basketball Coach Marvin Wood and features a 1.2x life-size bronze sculpture of Marvin Wood and members of his renowned 1954 Indiana State Champion Milan High School basketball team by David Layman Studio. Decorative treatments and amenities throughout the corridor include pavers, fencing and guardrails, trail lighting, landscaping, site furnishings, masonry features, and custom metalwork.
The project sets the stage for integration with the adjacent DLZ-designed Cedar Street Bridge project which will include a new river overlook and closes the loop of 3.5 miles of Riverwalk through Mishawaka’s downtown riverfront parks.