http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wium/local-wium-941076.mp3
Keokuk, IA – The Keokuk Riverfront Implementation Committee was created by the city council about 18 months ago.
The panel has been working to implement the ideas laid out for the riverfront in the Keokuk Area Vision with Action plan.
Several of the key projects have already been completed or are underway.
The South Side Boat Club has built a new headquarters to replace its former home, which was destroyed during the Flood of 2008. The city has acquired the former Keokuk Union Depot for potential restoration.
Tourism Director Kirk Brandenberger says the next opportunity celebrates a Keokuk landmark.
Brandenberger says a small group has been planning a museum celebrating the dam that stretches across the Mississippi River and the power plant. He says the target audience would include historians, students, and engineers.
Brandenberger says the best case scenario would be to open the museum while the region is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the dam in 2013.
Brandenberger says the most likely site for the museum would be between the two bridges that connect Illinois and Iowa. He says the facility could be linked to the railroad bridge's observation deck so visitors could see the Lock & Dam and the power plant.
The development of a feasibility study is expected to cost about $10,000. The Keokuk City Council has sent a request for funding to its finance committee.