The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee approved a grant worth nearly $1 million this week for a Riverwalk development project located near Beloit College’s Powerhouse Center Project.

The committee approved a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources request to fund part of the project overseen by the City of Beloit, which is the construction of an 800-foot riverwalk along the Powerhouse site’s western side along the Rock River.

The grant of $824,300 will go towards construction of the Powerhouse Riverwalk Trail, which will connect with existing walkway along the Rock River. In a letter appealing for the grant, the City of Beloit and Beloit College contend the funding was needed before bids were advertised for the construction work in the spring.

“The project itself will open up a stretch of riverfront to the public that has been tucked behind the power plant in the past,” said Beloit College President Scott Bierman. “This gap in Beloit’s trail system has been complicated to fill. We believe that building the riverwalk while Beloit College constructs the Powerhouse student center is our one opportunity fill in that gap.”

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This article was originally published in the Beloit Daily News by Austin Montgomery.