In the 1960s Bradenton dredged the Manatee River for silt, to add 50 acres (0.20 km2) of land adjacent to its downtown area.[4] The area was dubbed "The Sand Pile" due to the river dredging projects.[2][4] The park, Anthony T. Rossi Waterfront Park (or known simply as Waterfront Park or Rossi Park), was originally developed in the 1980s with the help of a federal grant.[1] The boundaries of Rossi Park were from the Green Bridge (Business US 41 / 9th Street West) to the Hernando de Soto Bridge (US 301 / US 41 / 1st Street). The Bradenton Downtown Development Authority (BDDA) hired Kimley-Horn in June 2010 to design a substantial improvement to Rossi Park and the surrounding waterfront area.[5] The construction of the Riverwalk broke ground in September 2011 and opened to the public on October 18, 2012.[2]
Public art is displayed throughout the Riverwalk area. One of the permanent art collections displayed is Postcards from the Friendly City. The collection consists of various large-scale art panel "postcards" depicting the history of the Manatee River and the Bradenton area.[7]
Several weekly, monthly, and annual events are held at the Riverwalk. These events range from a weekly farmers' market, a seasonal "Music in the Park" family-friendly live music series, to annual events such as Bradenton Blues Festival and ArtSlam. The events attract approximately 110,000 people annually to the downtown Bradenton area.[8][9]
Eastern extension
In April 2017, the city of Bradenton contracted Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. again to create a master plan for an eastern extension of the Bradenton Riverwalk.[3][10] The eastern extension will extend the Riverwalk east to Manatee Mineral Springs Park and Manatee Village Historical Park.
The city also bought 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) of land north of Manatee Mineral Springs Park for $700,000 to expand the existing park and to ensure interconnectivity with the eastern expansion of the Riverwalk.[11] The first phase of the extension opened in September 2022.[12]
