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From pickleball to pollinators, Council Bluffs parks see several improvement projects

'There's a huge misconception about our town. Debunk that myth, man. It's a great place to be'

In Council Bluffs, city parks are getting some upgrades. Some are already finished and others are still on the way. Cochran Park in central Council Bluffs on May 19 will host a grand re-opening celebrating improvements there and the First Ave Trail. First Ave Trail is a multi-use trail connecting downtown Omaha to downtown Council Bluffs. It sits where a railway once was. Improvements to Cochran Park will include new pickleball courts, a mini and contained soccer pitch and a baseball field. Some parts, including new playground equipment, are already complete.

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — In Council Bluffs, city parks are getting some upgrades. Some are already finished and others are still on the way.

Cochran Park in central Council Bluffs on May 19 will host a grand re-opening celebrating improvements there and the First Ave Trail. First Ave Trail is a multi-use trail connecting downtown Omaha to downtown Council Bluffs. It sits where a railway once was.

Improvements to Cochran Park will include new pickleball courts, a mini and contained soccer pitch and a baseball field. Some parts, including new playground equipment, are already complete.

The event will include free food and live entertainment. More information is here.

And around May 15, more than 700 native perennial plants will come to Bayliss Park in downtown Council Bluffs. The city received a "Bee City USA" designation a year ago. The city established a pollinator habitat corridor in 2020, part of it in Valley View Park.

"Native plants do not just beautify neighborhoods; they add rich biodiversity to the urban habitat, improving human connection with landscape and wildlife," said Parks and Recreation Director Vincent Martorello in a press release.

A new park in Council Bluffs was completed last week. Landscaping at Eastern Hills Trail Stop Park on the east end of the city was completed last week, and playground equipment was installed last fall.

"It's important to us in Council Bluffs to bring recreational opportunities where people are," said Council Bluffs communications director Ashley Kruse. "It's exciting to see all these parts that have existed for a long time get a renovation and makeover, making them more modern places that kids and families are excited to go visit. We like to have those opportunities for micro-gatherings, so we're hoping that neighbors will take pride in their parks and meet each other and enjoy the public spaces."

A dog park is planned and budgeted for at Valley View Park, though the city has run into difficulty finding a contractor, Kruse said.

Also set for renovation projects: Manawa City Park and Peterson Park. They will kick off this year, Kruse said.

Manawa City Park Renderings