The City of Fort Collins, Colorado, Art in Public Places Program (APP) is seeking submissions to select an artist/artist team to design art concepts for the Poudre River Whitewater Park Project. The artists/teams will work with the project team to develop concepts for site-specific art to be placed at this site. The Project Team is interested in the art helping to tell the story of the river and/or the mutual benefits of the project (natural systems, stormwater conveyance, and recreation).  The department, design team, and APP Board will determine the extent of the artist’s involvement in the project. Construction is estimated to start summer 2018 and continue until summer 2019.  Artists/teams will be selected based on their qualifications/application materials. The art project is estimated at $170,000.

The Poudre River White Water Park Project, which includes the Cache la Poudre River from the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery to the BNSF Railroad crossing east of College Avenue.

The master plan envisions a major remodel of this river reach, creating an active and vibrant setting where people are encouraged to engage with and play in the river in an urban setting.

The transformation would begin by removing the existing Coy Ditch Diversion structure and boulder‐lined “boat chute.” After removing these structures, the river channel would be narrowed to a more natural, sustainable width and deepened by implementing a variety of terraces to improve natural river function, increase flood capacity, to provide additional space for bank improvements and riparian habitat. The improved channel would be stabilized by constructing four in‐stream sloping rock features, two of which would incorporate whitewater wave features and “holes.” An added benefit is that the new sloping rock features would be designed to allow fish passage creating aquatic connectivity that hasn’t existed in this reach of the river since the Coy Diversion was constructed.

Additional space on the river banks, created by narrowing the river channel, may incorporate: a river overlook; terraced seating areas on the south river bank; ADA river access; put‐in/take‐out areas, habitat enhancements; and a pedestrian bridge over the river between College and the BNSF Bridge. Facilities such as parking, restrooms, new trails and trail improvements, the pedestrian bridge, terraced viewing areas, put‐in/take‐out areas and water play areas would be needed to support the anticipated use of this area.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria