Downtown Riverwalk Project Receives Regional, National Awards

The Beloit City Council was presented with three prestigious engineering and public works awards on Monday. The awards recognize the success of the Riverwalk extension project that was completed in summer 2025.

Representatives from Batterman presented the awards to the City Council in recognition of the project’s outstanding engineering, environmental stewardship, and community impact. The project received:

• The American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin (ACEC-Wisconsin) Engineering Excellence Best of State Award in the Special Projects category
• The American Public Works Association-Wisconsin) Project of the Year Award for Small Cities/Rural Communities in the Structural category
• An ACEC National Recognition Award as part of the Engineering Excellence Awards program

The project removed a deteriorating structure that extended over the Rock River at 80-100 E. Grand Ave. while expanding the downtown riverwalk. The project also restored the shoreline, improved pedestrian and bicycle access, enhanced public safety, reduced flood risk, and created new opportunities for future riverfront development.

The City partnered with Batterman throughout the project, from securing funding and completing design work to construction oversight and project closeout. The effort leveraged more than $2.3 million in state grant funding, a 50% private match and $500,000 in dedicated capital funds for public infrastructure improvements. This project required extensive coordination among local, state, and private partners.

The City of Beloit will maintain ownership of the riverwalk area while the future developer, East Grand Development LLC, a Hendricks company, intends to build a four-story, 48,000 square foot building that could include a restaurant, commercial uses, office, and/or residential use.

The project included grant funding from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.