| Bradenton Riverwalk | |
|---|---|
 Tower plaza withManatee River in the background | |
 Interactive map of Bradenton Riverwalk | |
| Location | Bradenton, Florida |
| Coordinates | 27°29′58″N82°34′02″W / 27.49944°N 82.56722°W /27.49944; -82.56722 |
| Area | 5.0 acres (0.020 km2)[1] |
| Opened | October 18, 2012 (2012-10-18)[2][3] |
| Designer | Kimley-Horn |
| Operated by | City of Bradenton |
| Open | Year round |
| Public transit access | Manatee County Area Transit (MCAT) |
| Website | realizebradenton.com/riverwalk |
Bradenton Riverwalk (known locally as theRiverwalk) is a 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) publicgreen space located along theManatee River inBradenton, Florida, betweenBusiness US 41 and SouthTamiami Trail (US 301 /US 41concurrently). The five-acre (2.0 ha) park opened to the public on October 18, 2012 and features askatepark, 400-seat amphitheater, playgrounds, and asplash pad. The area is maintained by the city of Bradenton and thenonprofit organizationRealize Bradenton.
In the 1960s Bradenton dredged theManatee River for silt, to add 50 acres (0.20 km2) of land adjacent to its downtown area.[4] The area was dubbed "The Sand Pile" due to the river dredging projects.[2][4] The park,Anthony T. Rossi Waterfront Park (or known simply asWaterfront Park orRossi Park), was originally developed in the 1980s with the help of a federal grant.[1] The boundaries of Rossi Park were from the Green Bridge (Business US 41 / 9th Street West) to theHernando de Soto Bridge (US 301 /US 41 / 1st Street). The Bradenton Downtown Development Authority (BDDA) hiredKimley-Horn in June 2010 to design a substantial improvement to Rossi Park and the surrounding waterfront area.[5] The construction of the Riverwalk broke ground in September 2011 and opened to the public on October 18, 2012.[2]
The Bradenton Riverwalk spans from slightly west of the Green Bridge, nearBishop Museum of Science and Nature, to 2nd Street East, adjacent toManatee Memorial Hospital. The Riverwalk includes playgrounds,splash pad, a lawn for picnics, a day dock for boaters, askatepark, a botanical walk, sand volleyball courts, and a 400-seatMosaic Amphitheater.[3][6]
Public art is displayed throughout the Riverwalk area. One of the permanent art collections displayed isPostcards from the Friendly City. The collection consists of various large-scale art panel "postcards" depicting the history of the Manatee River and the Bradenton area.[7]
Several weekly, monthly, and annual events are held at the Riverwalk. These events range from a weeklyfarmers' market, a seasonal "Music in the Park" family-friendly live music series, to annual events such asBradenton Blues Festival and ArtSlam. The events attract approximately 110,000 people annually to the downtown Bradenton area.[8][9]
In April 2017, the city of Bradenton contracted Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. again to create a master plan for an eastern extension of the Bradenton Riverwalk.[3][10] The eastern extension will extend the Riverwalk east toManatee Mineral Springs Park andManatee Village Historical Park.
The city also bought 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) of land north of Manatee Mineral Springs Park for $700,000 to expand the existing park and to ensureinterconnectivity with the eastern expansion of the Riverwalk.[11] The first phase of the extension opened in September 2022.[12]
