Bradenton Riverwalk Gets National Recognition

BRADENTON – In June, the Magazine of the Urban Land Institute recognized the City of Bradenton's Riverwalk Park as one of the top ten Waterfront Open Spaces in the world.

"During the 1960s, the city of Bradenton dredged silt from the Manatee River to add 50 acres (20 ha) of land adjacent to downtown. Dubbed 'the Sand Pile,' the area was slow to realize its potential," states the article, which also lists the Chicago Riverwalk, British Columbia's New Westminster Pier Park and New Orleans' Crescent Park in its list.

In a press release, Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said that the City's plan for the Riverwalk "was to make the Manatee River accessible with a park that is diverse in every way. ... Every citizen feels welcome to the Riverwalk. The plan connected the urban downtown to the river and helped us attract new residents and businesses to the City of Bradenton."

Poston continued, ”It gets more use that we ever imagined, and we celebrate that it is a home run for Bradenton and our citizens.“