Bever Park Bridge

City staff recently discussed removing the bridge located in Bever Park with the Historic Preservation Commission. The HPC’s role is to evaluate and prioritize projects in order to determine how the City can preserve our most valuable historic assets. Since that discussion, City Council members and many citizens have expressed concerns about the possibility of removing the bridge.

The bridge is currently secured for safety purposes, and will not be removed. We are in the process of evaluating the costs of repairing the bridge. We understand it could be quite costly, which is common with many historic preservation projects because of the detail of the work involved. We plan to determine the most cost effective solution for repairs, and hope to hear from parties interested in contributing funds in order to help us save the bridge.

I appreciate the feedback we have received from Cedar Rapids residents regarding this issue.  Bever Park is a critical piece of our City’s history, and it is wonderful to see our citizen’s cherish that history.

Jeff