Ten years ago, a visioning program determined that Tamaqua isn't using its waterways to maximum advantage. To help rectify the situation, the community will build its first pedestrian lane designed specifically to showcase a river and add a recreation venue.

By this summer, area residents will be able to stroll along a scenic, 800-foot-long Tamaqua Riverwalk, connecting Cedar Street to Willing Park and the Tamaqua Community Center.According to Dan Schroeder, community development officer, the walking lane will be "an asphalt walkway with cast iron benches and a 42-inch-high railing."Schroder said vegetation will feature 18 trees, such as Village Greens, a variety tagged as zelkova serrata, and Black Gum trees known as tupelos."They have small, shiny leaves and are very colorful in autumn," said Schroeder.The project is being made possible through a $96,000 grant by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources through the Federal Recreational Trails Program, and obtained by Jason Boris, executive director, Eastern Schuylkill Recreation Commission, writer of the grant application. The grant will be matched to $24,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds administered by Tamaqua Borough.Five street lamps designed to match the Victorian downtown streetscape lamps also were included in the design. At this point, however, funding is not available for the purchase of the street lamps, expected to cost $65,000.Borough officials said the goal of creating the town's first river walk has been many years in the planning stage."It was talked about during the charrette program," said Kevin Steigerwalt, borough manager, who joined with Schroeder on Wednesday to open project bids at Tamaqua Borough Hall.Steigerwalt referred to an open community planning meeting called the Tamaqua Community Charrette, a design process. The event took place Nov. 2-3, 2001, and included community volunteers as well as designers from Ball State University, and local and state agencies.The event's goal was to help residents and businesses clarify the community's vision of who it was, where it was going, and visions and dreams for the future.During the session, attendees agreed to focus efforts on many fronts, including the creation of a universally accessible walkway on banks of the Little Schuylkill River. The idea is to increase visibility of the river and create a popular recreation and visual amenity in the heart of Tamaqua. The Tamaqua Riverwalk would serve as a vital link in the trail system, bringing tourists and others into the downtown area.The river walk is seen as a complement to the town's 2006 streetscape overhaul, a project which has helped to create a popular walking route along Broad Street, US Route 209.In a project vision, designers imagined the river walk to provide a bucolic setting for fishing, paddle boating, sidewalk cafes and other enhancements.Of the 25 contractors who expressed interest in coordinating the project and who picked up bid packets, 15 returned sealed bids. The total bids included a base bid and an additional amount for Alternate No. 1, or an added figure for the cost of decorative lighting even though funding for the light posts has not been found at this point in time.The low bidder was Grand Prix Excavating, Tamaqua, with a total bid of $154,472.Other contractor bids announced at the public meeting were: Arthur Pat Aungst, $237,205; Bill Anskis Co., $322,760; Chilewski Enterprises, $239,790; Dirt Work Solutions, $205,810; Donohue Excavating & Paving, $199,752; Hazleton Site Contractors, $258,822; Kobalt Construction, $286,515; Livengood Excavators, $213,851; Miller Bros. Construction, $241,950; RGC Development, $229,074; Schuylkill Paving, Inc., $197,970; Slusser Bros./Pennsy Supply, $261,960; Spotts Brothers, $162,886; and Tri-County Excavating, $164,773."We'll refer these to our engineers along with our staff," said Steigerwalt, adding that a final recommendation would be presented to borough council at its regular meeting on March 1 or March 15.The Tamaqua Riverwalk will incorporate several contiguous properties. Boyers Markets has reportedly agreed to provide right-of-way access to the borough for the section of the new walkway passing along the perimeter of its property.If plans proceed as anticipated, ground will be broken in the coming weeks and the Tamaqua Riverwalk would become a reality by early summer, if not sooner.Discussion has taken place about the prospect of expanding the walkway north toward East Broad Street at some future date, but such expansion is only in the idea stage.