Heartland of America Park in Omaha is now closed as part of the Riverfront Redevelopment Project.
Public access to the park will soon be restricted. The closure of the park came early. It was scheduled for the beginning of 2020.
Ron Henrichs was one of the few people inside the park Monday getting a workout in before he no longer can in this area for a while.
“After it’s all done it’s going to be wonderful. It’s going to be a shame to not have it for a while but the whole plan all the way through is just wonderful,” Henrichs told 6 News.
The main entrance to the park is fenced in and construction crews are working their way closer to the park inside.
The redesigned park will include better walking paths, a place for rollerblading in the summer, and ice skating in the winter.
“The redesign of it is going to be so friendly for activities. Suddenly where the park is really hilly right now will have opportunities to have large scale outdoor events as well as year-round activities and family-friendly activities that will accommodate children of all needs and accessibilities as well all ages,” says MECA spokesperson Krystina Engdahl.
If the weather cooperates, the park will stay closed for construction through 2023. Officials say work on the Gene Leahy mall is currently on schedule. The close to 300 million dollar redevelopment plan includes the Heartland of America Park, the Gene Leahy Mall and Lewis and Clark Landing.