Marshalltown’s Linn Creek District, located in the heart of the community, will look substantially different by the end of 2026 as a series of projects partially funded by Destination Iowa grants are expected to wrap up and be fully operational this year, including the Apgar Family Water Plaza and the Emerson Bridge.

City Parks and Recreation Director Kelsie Stafford told the T-R the water plaza is progressing steadily with the color coating aspect set to go out to bid earlier this week and more concrete work yet to be done.

“With the cure time and the finishing touches with the coating and all of the benches and things like that getting placed, hopefully all of that will go smoothly, and we’re looking at an early summer opening,” she said.

The bridge was placed at the Linn Creek crossing near Kwik Star and the Marshalltown Football League (MFL) fields last summer, and despite an early snow around Thanksgiving, there are still only a few more concrete pours left to complete along with the decorative bridge railing.

“We’re getting all of those panels mapped out and those are being fabricated right now. So as soon as that’s all laid out and ready to go, we’ll get that installed,” Stafford said.

Most of the Ann C. Keyser Trailhead work is finished other than a few concrete pours and furniture installation, and the Parks and Recreation department will add more landscaping this spring. The skatepark will not move as a result of the trailhead project.