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DECORAH -- On Monday, May 19, members of Decorah City Council voted unanimously to award local company Pine Creek Trail Builders, LCC, the bid for the 2025 Carlson Park Gateway Trail Project. The project includes the Gateway entrance feature trail and over four miles of additional beginner and intermediate trails, and was supported largely by local donations and a State Recreational Trails Grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation. "I'm extremely excited about the plan," said Decorah Mayor, Lorraine Borowski, "I'm excited about the fact that we had a local person who bid on it and got it. I'm looking forward to the completion and that they had stated that they can start on it right away." The new trails have been a long time coming. In 2018, volunteers Brian Fuhrmann, Steve Pasche, and Deke (Richard) Gosen approached the City of Decorah about constructing a two-mile core loop through the park after Decorah City Council and Decorah Parks and Recreations determined that improving Carlson Park was a priority. With the city's blessing, Decorah Human Powered Trails (DHPT) volunteers created what is now the multi-use trail through the park that attracts bikers, runners, hikers, and skiers. On October 2-3, 2020, Decorah Parks and Recreation held an open house at Carlson Park, allowing the public to cast their votes on what they wanted added to the park and explore the new trails. Inspired by those results and a newly released master plan document, Fuhrmann and Benji Nichols determined that trail development was the best place to start. They shared a presentation on Carlson Park with Decorah Rotary Club members, who ultimately decided to support Carlson Park through the creation of the Decorah Rotary Club Binzebo Trail Hub. Decorah Rotary Club members joined forces with DHPT volunteers and Decorah Parks and Recreation staff to construct the Binzebo, which is visible from Highway 9, in February and March of 2024. The Binzebo ignited public interest in the project. Individuals and local businesses made donations from $1-$50,000 with the goal of funding construction of phase 1a of the trail development plan. The response was outstanding, and when combined with a $298,795 State Recreational Trails grant from the Iowa Department of Transportations, funds were available for phases 1a and 1b, which went out to bid last week. "On behalf of Carlson Park Trails Coalition, we want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who helped us get to this point, especially City of Decorah staff members, Decorah Parks and Recreation board members and staff, Decorah City Council, DHPT, Decorah Rotary Club, and all of our donors," said Carlson Park Trails Coalition member, Marla Klocke. "We are looking forward to watching it come to fruition." Initial work on Carlson Park may begin as early as June.

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2025 Carlson Park Gateway Trail Project Bid Awarded to Local Company