Since its completion and public opening, the Pueblo Riverwalk has played a significant and well-known role in Pueblo’s history. Before the flood that devastated what is now the downtown and Union Historic District of Pueblo, the Arkansas River flowed freely through town.
The 1921 flood caused the river to reroute to prevent the catastrophe from repeating itself. The flood left the area emptied and unusable, causing a massive scar through the city. The Riverwalk’s construction revitalized this deep wound and created a place that has become a hub of activity and commerce in our community, and there are plans to extend its reach.
Pueblo is a community that grows every day, and to support this, the environment must evolve alongside the community to accumulate this feat. The Pueblo Riverwalk has set its sights to begin an expansion project eastward toward Santa Fe Ave. The ultimate goal is to reach the area of the Runyon Sports Complex.
The expansion project will remove the Ferguson Bath Gallery building at 175 S. Santa Fe Ave. The lot will undergo clearing and transformation to fit the needs of the planned expansion, which will include the extension of the eastward channel of the Riverwalk and a boathouse that will house the boats used on the river and be available as a space to host gatherings.
The project’s current status includes the completion of schematics for the expansion and finalized designs ready to proceed. The Pueblo community has engaged in extensive discussions regarding the potential expansion of the Riverwalk over a considerable period. Among the various topics circulating, one persistent question has emerged: How will this proposed expansion shape and influence the intricate social dynamics within Pueblo?
The expansion will reach Santa Fe Ave right next to Loco Wines and Liquors, a long-standing family-owned liquor store that has seen much of the area around it develop over time, and much like previous times, it is likely that the expansion will significantly have a significant impact on the downtown area. The intersection of Santa Fe Ave. and 1st St. is a place that has unfortunately taken an unsightly presence in the community despite the existence of locations such as the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center.
Looking back to the days before the Riverwalk, it is easy to draw a few similarities in the social and community aspects that the area was able to shake off due to the efforts of those who made a vision a reality; we may see similar events occur. The Riverwalk transformed a large part of Pueblo, and as it extends its reach, it will offer more and more opportunities for Pueblo to grow and refine itself in new ways. The project is still far from being finished, but many can look forward to the promising changes it will bring to our community.
