Altoona Plans River Prairie Event Center

V1 Staff |

The city of Altoona wants to build an event center to provide outdoor and indoor gathering space in the northwest quadrant of the new River Prairie Development. The city is seeking proposals from architectural and engineering firms for the building, which would have an estimated cost of $1.7 million. Plans call for a facility with 7,000 to 9,000 square feet inside and about 1,500-2,000 square feet of outside patio space. In addition to providing a base for hosting community events and celebrations – including weddings, reunions, and fundraisers – the building would be used for parks and recreation programs and would house the city’s parks and recreation offices. The city describes the building as “the hub of activity for the public space being constructed in River Prairie.” Among River Prairie’s other planned public amenities are a 5,000-seat amphitheater, a large event plaza, a performance space, a river feature, a splash pad, and more. Meanwhile, the Altoona City Council recently OK’d a developer’s plan to build a 51-unit apartment complex, dubbed Prairie Place, in River Prairie. According to WQOW-TV, construction is expected to begin this summer and to be completed in spring 2017.