5 March 2024
TOPEKA (KSNT) – The future is looking promising for the development of Topeka’s stretch of the Kansas River.
27 News sat down with the Director of River Strategies and President of Downtown Topeka, Ashley Gilfillan, for a one-on-one interview about the future of the Kansas riverfront in the Capital City on Monday, March 5. Gilfillan represents the Topeka Riverfront Advisory Council (RAC) which aims to bring about sweeping changes to the Kansas River in the coming years.
Last year, 27 News spoke with Gilfillan and other organizers of the council to learn more about the Riverfront Activation Plan. The group recently completed a survey asking Topekans what changes they’d like to see happen on the Kansas River. Results of the survey were released in February this year showing just short of 1,500 responses were tallied.
“We want to leave the river better than we found it, and part of that means the environmental aspect of it, its not just something that we’re looking at doing to have fun and do whatever we want,” Gilfillan said. “Whatever we’re doing has to be thoughtful, methodical.”
Among some of the top choices for changes included recreational activities such as the addition of walking/jogging trails, picnic areas, lighting and a pedestrian bridge connecting downtown Topeka to the North Topeka Arts District (NOTO). A majority of respondents agreed the Kansas River is an “untapped resource.”
Currently, the RAC is using the feedback it has received so far to create a plan for the development of the riverfront. The final activation of their plan is tentatively scheduled to take place in June and September this year, according to the RAC’s website.
To achieve the changes being proposed, the RAC is partnering with the construction company Bolton & Menk. The company has experience working on other riverfront improvement projects in cities across the country.
Gilfillan said the RAC is still open to receiving feedback on the development of the Kansas River. This can be done by engaging with the RAC on its website.
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