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The Boundless Playground is a joint private/public partnership of the City of Sioux City, Opportunities Unlimited, the Siouxland Chamber Foundation, and Frank Audino Construction as the contractor. The project is tentatively scheduled to be completed early October, 2007.
A Boundless Playground is a playground that involves planning and design components to address accessibility by following the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) Final Rule for Play Areas. Boundless Playgrounds enable all children – including those with physical, developmental, cognitive and sensory disabilities – to experience independent, self-directed play, each at his or her own highest level of ability. A Boundless Playground makes it possible for everyone to be in the middle of play, together.
What is the difference between an accessible playground and a Boundless Playgrounds project?
Boundless Playgrounds are different from traditional playgrounds because 1) they are barrier-free and 2) they are configured to support children’s predictable play behaviors. As a result, every Boundless Playground includes a variety of stimulating opportunities for play, with rigor and challenge for children of all abilities. What’s more, every child can get to the highest play deck to feel like king or queen of the hill. Equally important, playground equipment is designed to be sensory rich so children with developmental and sensory disabilities can actively, safely and enjoyably participate with their peers without disabilities.
For more information on the Leif Erikson Boundless Playground project, contact 712-255-7903.
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The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Sioux City officially kicked off an educational campaign to clean up smoking-related litter in Sioux City. As part of the project, the Chamber is inviting businesses to order attractive, black cigarette butt receptacles - also called cigarette towers - through a special form at the Chamber. Security locks are also available to bolt the units to the ground. For more information on how to order a cigarette receptacle download the order form below or call the Chamber at 712-255-7903.
Cigarette Butt Receptacle Order Form
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The Great Places initiative was launched by Iowa’s Governor Tom Vilsack in 2005 as a challenge to Iowans to be bold and creative as they transform what is unique, genuine and authentic about Iowa into great places for people to live and visit.
In October 2005, Sioux City, was one of three communities selected from a pool of 146 applicants to be named a pilot place by the Great Places Citizen Advisory Board. The state will work with the three communities to help them achieve their Great Places visions by targeting existing state resources and programs for maximum impact and results.
Sioux City's Great Places plan creates an expanded urban core that embraces our rich history, who we are, as well as our desire to diversify and offer something wonderful to our community and its visitors.
The plan consists of five major elements – Fourth Street Place, Front Door/Riverfront Access, the Yards, the Floyd Boulevard Food Market, and the Sioux City School of Architecture.
Five Major Elements of Sioux City's Great Place
Fourth Street Place
The 4th Street Place has always been at the core of our downtown. The plan calls for the continued revitalization of this important area with:
- Development of a building for the Sioux City Public Museum and Regents Center
- Connection of Fourth Street between Nebraska and Jones Streets
- Rehabilitation of the Badgerow Building
- Replacement of the Heritage Parking Ramp
Front Door/Riverfront Access
The Riverfront has emerged as one of Sioux City’s crown jewels. The plan calls for increasing the access to recreational, cultural, and historical attractions with:
- Reconstruction of Interstate 29 - opening downtown to the Riverfront
- Incorporation of a signature bridge into the I-29 reconstruction
- Connection of recreational trails throughout the downtown area
- The addition of wayfinding signage to invite people to visit our community’s many attractions
- Enhancement of our front door by moving unsightly power lines and replacing the current I-29 fence with an aesthetically pleasing wall
The Yards
In its glory days, the Yards transformed Sioux City from a frontier hamlet to a world power. The Great Places plan takes the Yards from its present position on the fringes to its rightful place in the very heart of Sioux City with:
- Transformation of the Yards Channel by filling it with water and surrounding it with trees, grass and pedestrian walkways
- Development of an interpretive park celebrating the history of the Yards
- Demolition of the KD Station
- Incorporation of historic architectural elements into the Gordon Drive Bridge
- Restoration of the exterior of the old Hose House
The Floyd Boulevard Food Market
Serving as both an agricultural center and a cultural center, the Floyd Boulevard Food Market wonderfully connects tradition with trendy and inspires countless passionate volunteers as well as throngs of dedicated and appreciative customers. The vision for this unique market includes:
- Seminars on food issues, agricultural production and marketing
- Marketing space for local vendors
- Restaurant serving local foods
- Cooking classes
- Multicultural exchanges between diverse cultural groups
Sioux City School of Architecture
Sioux City is home to a distinctive style of architecture. The Sioux City School of Architecture can best be described as a hybrid of the Prairie School and Art Deco styles. The plan calls for the renovation of and celebration of this unique form of architecture with:
- Development of a consistent terra cotta branding element throughout the downtown
- Development of historic incentive bundling for the Battery, Badgerow, Davidson and Warrior buildings
- Establishment of a Regents School of Design that includes year round studio space for undergraduate and graduate work, office and administration areas, and lecture space
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