Plans for a unique and historic river park are advancing in Cottage Grove.
Officials said Wednesday that the seven-acre park would be on a back channel of the Mississippi River, near a recently acquired island.
The park would provide the first public access to one of the state’s oldest industrial sites — a limestone kiln from the 1840s. The as-yet-unnamed park also would provide river access for light watercraft and feature a kayak-rental station.
Christine Costello, acting community and economic-development director, said the City Council on April 3 voted to investigate the purchase of land.
The property is owned by Marge Schmaltz, who has told officials she is interested in selling. The property, including a house and several out-buildings, has a Washington County taxable value of $488,000.
The new park would give the city another place for recreational kayakers and canoeists to launch boats. Even though the Mississippi borders Cottage Grove for more than 13 miles, the city has only one other river access point — at Hazen P. Mooers Park.
Preliminary plans say the site could include a kayak-rental station, a meeting venue and a historic interpretive center.
The historic kiln is on Schmaltz’s property, without any public access.
In the 1840s, settlers used the 35-foot kiln to heat limestone to make quicklime used as fertilizer and as a construction material. The structure collapsed in 2014.
Costello said the new park would fit the city’s goal of promoting tourism.
To that end, the city acquired the two-acre Joseph LaBathe Settler’s Island in 2015 — just to the north of the proposed park.
Costello said the city is looking for other properties that could stimulate tourism.
“As properties become available, it’s important for us to explore their potential,” Costello said.
She said the city is looking for partners to help finance the development of the new park.