Major work began with the more than $18 million cleanup and restoration of Elm Creek and its dam, as well as Mill Pond, which feed into the Mississippi from the southwest. The city made the water more navigable for boats and canoes and added fishing areas and public docks along the riverfront.
“It’s one of those things where it’s a jewel that not many people know about,” Schulte said of the stretch of the Mississippi River from north of the Coon Rapids Dam to Champlin’s bridge with Anoka.
A $12 million project reconstructed Hwy. 169. And the first private development came in the form of a $30 million, 85-unit senior cooperative.
The city later named Greco as the developer of 12 central acres within a tax increment financing district. The construction of a $50 million, 215-unit apartment building allowed the city to add parking and utilities needed to build out the rest of the project.
In 2022, the city built an event center, which fits parties of 150, and an outdoor performing area, where bands play at the amphitheater every Thursday during the summer. The shows, with food trucks parked on the grounds, have brought as many as 2,000 people out, Schulte said.
Jensen’s Market opened in 2023, and residents can now grab ice cream at Cullens. By Christmas, developer Korey Bannerman expects to open the new restaurant CHAR BLU Riverside, with a patio overlooking the water.