North Liberty to take ‘Next Stage’ with project to transform Centennial Park

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (KCRG) - The city of North Liberty is moving forward with a plan to upgrade Centennial Park, a 40 acre area acquired in 2010, into an event space and gathering space for the community.

The $16 million “Next Stage” project will build a 300-person-capacity indoor event space for public events and fairs, an outdoor stage for free and ticketed events that can hold audiences of 500 to 10,000 people, an open-air pavilion, an honor garden, and more.

“North Liberty Next Stage builds a regional asset that also answers the call we’ve heard from people who love this town: space to connect, play and explore,” said Mayor Chris Hoffman. “North Liberty has long been attractive because of its location in the heart of Eastern Iowa and connection to neighboring towns for employment, entertainment and shopping. And now, our location between the population centers of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids makes North Liberty and Centennial Park perfectly situated for regional events.”

The completion of Centennial Park will be funded with local public funds, ARPA funding and private support. The city is launching a campaign with a goal to raise $1 million from the public. You can find more information on that here.

Engineering is anticipated to begin this year, with the Centennial Center opening to the public in 2025.

The city will hold three public information sessions about the project, each at the North Liberty Community Library, 520. W. Cherry St. in North Liberty:

• Monday, April 10, at 12 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 11, at 8 a.m.
• Tuesday, April 12, at 5:30 p.m.

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