Gadsden council awards bid for riverfront development

The Gadsden City Council awarded a $2.4 million dollar bid Tuesday for riverfront development on the east side of the Coosa River, with work will begin in the near future.

The plans include a pedestrian plaza under Memorial Bridge on Broad Street, with sidewalks tying to existing piers. There also will be a pedestrian bridge connecting the small peninsula under the bridge to the mainland.

The project stretches along the riverfront from the Coosa Landing marina to behind the old Hobby Lobby building.

The bid, which was awarded to Bob Smith Construction Inc. of Trussville, originally came in at $3.5 million, but it was reduced to $2.4 million through negotiations and adjustments to the plan.

Councilman Bob Echols said all but $312,000 of the project came from money refunded from the reissue of three bonds. The remainder came from the tax increment financing fund.