From Concept to Reality: Grand Avenue Riverwalk Extension Opens After Years of Planning and Work

July 18, 2025

In June 2025, after many years of planning, collaboration, and construction, the 80-100 Grand Avenue Riverwalk Extension in Downtown Beloit, Wisconsin, was completed. This project was initiated because a blighted, unimprovable building protruded over the Rock River, posing a risk of collapse, as well as health hazards and polluting waterways for residents. The City of Beloit’s need to address these concerns and its desire to enhance the downtown riverfront provided the impetus to move the project forward. Overall, the project involved the removal of the existing structure, the extension of the riverwalk, and the upgrading of the bridge components, resulting in a safe and aesthetically pleasing public space, as well as a design and construction-ready site for future development.  

To celebrate the successful completion of the Grand Avenue Riverwalk Extension, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on July 15, 2025. Batterman’s president, Frank McKearn, served as a key speaker during the ceremony, joined by other representatives from the State of Wisconsin, the City of Beloit, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Frank had the opportunity to tour and discuss the project with Wisconsin State Governor Tony Evers.

Batterman was truly honored to have been part of this incredible, collaborative project, and we are deeply grateful to the City of Beloit for placing their trust in us to help bring this vision to life with our grant writing, design, and construction management services.

Batterman’s involvement with this project began in Fall 2021, working with the City of Beloit to secure essential grant funding. In September 2022, the WDNR awarded the city both a Municipal Flood Control and Stewardship Local Assistance Grant. In May 2023, Batterman was formally awarded the project contract to provide professional surveying, structural, environmental, and civil engineering services, as well as construction management and grant administration.

The project’s initial phase involved a comprehensive survey of the site, utilizing a combination of conventional survey instruments as well as more advanced methods, such as sonar and scanners, to capture the point cloud and sheet pile walls. For the design phase, Batterman partnered with Jewell Associates Engineers, Inc., and Brownfield Environmental Engineering Resources to design the structural, environmental, and civil components of the project. Additionally, input from the City, the Public, and Hendricks Commercial Properties was incorporated throughout the process.

After the final designs were approved and the bid was awarded, Batterman provided Construction Management Services throughout the demolition and construction process. We closely inspected the work being completed, provided seamless coordination between The Contractor and The City, minimized and coordinated impacts to stakeholders and the public, and provided weekly construction updates to stakeholders and the public. After the construction was completed, Batterman finalized the required documents for the closeout of the Grants with the WDNR.

Construction Progress Blog: https://rhbatterman.com/80-100_grand/