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Public park, stage opening Wednesday at Cedar Rapids’ Kingston Yard mixed-use site
Park brings green space, stage to development anchored by Big Grove and Pickle Palace
Marissa Payne
Jul. 2, 2024 2:06 pm, Updated: Jul. 2, 2024 8:06 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS — The public park at the heart of Kingston Yard, the mixed-use development on the west side of the Cedar River, opens to the public Wednesday with a new stage and green space — serving as a natural hub for people to gather near prime attractions in the city center.
In time for Fourth of July festivities, the Yard and ImOn Stage, sponsored by ImOn Communications, open at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Kingston Yard — the $81.5 million mixed-use development on city-owned land at First Street and First Avenue West.
The Yard is free and open to the public, and is designed to interact with other attractions on the mixed-use site such as Pickle Palace bar and grill and Big Grove Brewery. Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but visitors can purchase a drink at either establishment and consume it at the park.
“This can be a super family-friendly entertainment option with great things to eat and drink,” said Nate Kaeding, co-developer of Kingston Yard. “Once we get the programming going and the kids’ play area, that's the fun part of it. We've seen the success of that with Big Grove in Iowa City and you’ll be able to have families and kids and … everybody from the community coming together.”
Free entertainment, live music and special events will come soon to the new park. The stage will be regularly programmed with local and regional live music acts. A committee of managers from Big Grove and Pickle Palace will help with programming and scheduling at the park. Eventually, the Kingston Yard Association will take over, but the 1st and 1st development team still is ironing out details and a website where people can direct inquiries.
The inaugural live music acts will perform Thursday — Millcreek Band from noon-3 p.m. and the Airwaves from 5-8 p.m.
The space was planned with the City of Cedar Rapids, Confluence Landscape Architecture and Compass Commercial Services.
Joe Ahmann, president and founder of Compass Commercial Services and co-developer of Kingston Yard, considered the Yard the anchor of the overall development.
“We're excited to be able to show the progress,” Ahmann said.
What are the park’s features?
Paver walkways, benches and landscaping guide visitors through the park and to other attractions. They also lead to the mixed-use buildings featuring first-floor commercial space and market-rate rental apartments. A kids’ play area includes a slide, tunnel and swings. There is free Wi-Fi provided by ImOn.
The walkway leads to the ImOn Stage, which was built with reclaimed steel trusses salvaged from a Cedar Rapids bridge built in 1910. It’s complete with color-changing LED lights.
The stage features what developers believe is the largest public access outdoor TV in the Corridor, a 15-foot wide and 8.5-foot tall screen that will show live sporting events and be used to host movie nights.
The screen is protected by sliding doors that can lock shut. The doors are covered in panels that form the Kingston Yard logo, but the panels can be removed and changed for other events.
A state-of-the-art sound system projects audio from speakers attached to the light poles lining the path. String lighting is placed to the right of the stage, over a patio.
In front of the stage is a natural grass lawn, where guests can bring lawn chairs and blankets for seating in front of the stage while they relax or enjoy food and beverages from the surrounding businesses. Pop-up festivals and other events also can be hosted here.
"We are thrilled to support The Stage at Kingston Yard and its mission to provide accessible and enriching musical and family-friendly experiences for our community,” Patrice Carroll, chief executive officer of ImOn Communications, said in a statement. “Creating connections is ImOn’s mission, and music and entertainment have the power to inspire, connect and uplift.”
Planning continues for hotel, parking ramp
One mixed-use building already has more than 40 of 63 apartments leased, and first-floor commercial tenants are filling up. Aroma Pizza will occupy one spot, and Ahmann said a martini bar is expected to take up another space. There also will be restrooms that the public can use.
People can access Kingston Yard from First Avenue West through an open-air walkway in that building. Ahmann said this area eventually will have plaques with information and old photos honoring the history of Kingston Village — named after what long ago was the village of Kingston.
Construction on the second mixed-use building along First Avenue West and Third Street SW is slated to wrap up in six months.
Occupying the rest of the south block of the project will be the city of Cedar Rapids’ public parking ramp and eventually an approximately 100-room hotel facing Second Avenue SW. Construction has not yet started on either. The ramp has been designed and will include more than 450 parking stalls.
Design will be underway this fall to determine what takes shape on the three buildings planned for the block north of First Avenue West, but potential uses include more hotel rooms, commercial space or rental and for-sale residential units. This space is currently used as temporary parking for the development.
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com