Riverwalk Trust, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, serves as the catalyst in building and nurturing Riverwalk and Downtown Fort Lauderdale as a vibrant community connected by the New River. Riverwalk Trust accomplishes its mission through advocacy on behalf of the Riverwalk Park, communication through its Web site and Go Riverwalk magazine, its diverse offerings of events and its membership activities. Here is a primer on just a few key initiatives we are following. We urge the local community to get involved by either joining the Riverwalk Trust or serving on a committee or two. For more information, call (954) 468-1541, or visit www.GoRiverwalk.com

After Hurricane Wilma, Master Plan & Projects (MP&P) Committee member and local resident Kathy Schauer (and others) expressed dismay that Riverwalk lost so much shade and tree coverage. Over a few year process, Kathy and now committee members Scott Strawbridge, Alena Mamery and John Terrill have continued to meet and refine a concept for getting our coverage back. In conjunction with the City of Fort Lauderdale's Urban Forester Gene Dempsey and horticulturist Jim Romeo, the committee has drafted a brochure outlining the receptor site program, and they have identified areas in the park (marked with GPS coordinates) that could receive certain types of trees from donor sites. Concurrently, Riverwalk Trust immediate past president Renée Quinn has been working on a program to add color and lushness to the park. The Riverwalk Trust is in the process of marrying these two concepts into a program that could make a major difference in the Riverwalk experience.

Riverwalk Trust's MP&P Committee is, perhaps, one of our most important committees as it serves as the core of our advocacy efforts. We have been working continuously over the last year with Boca Developers, owners of Las Olas Riverfront, on their plans for site redevelopment. As part of the process, we hired an outside consultant to review the plans for the project and assembled a local panel of planning and development experts. Our ultimate goal is to frame critical questions and gather insight from experts and stakeholders yielding a successful project on this critical riverfront parcel.

The Riverwalk Trust was also pleased to be part of the City of Fort Lauderdale's Downtown New River Master Plan Phase I. March's Go Riverwalk went into detail on some of the major recommendations, and Riverwalk Trust is excited about future phases, including implementation of some key strategies to activate the park.

The committee recently received a presentation from representatives from the Rio Vista Civic Association regarding a proposed park atop the tunnel on Riverwalk's south side. This, in conjunction with improvements to Smoker Park, will assist the south side of the New River greatly. In fact, the committee is also working on officially naming the park just west of the tunnel on the south side, "Smoker Family Park," in commemoration of the family that has left its positive mark on the city. The committee was also pleased to see the official opening of the Riverwalk South Regional Park (between Andrews Avenue Bridge and the Downtowner Saloon) as part of the State of the City address. It is a key link in the Riverwalk Park system.

We couldn't survive without generous support from our board of directors and our surrounding community partners! Thank you to Al Padrón (PL&P) for printing Get Downtown posters and Riverwalk Tribute signage. Thank you once again to Nancy Brusher and the team at Stiles Corporation for all of their assistance with our spring events. Thank you to Abbey Fortney (Inspiri24 Design Studio) for preparing the PowerPoint presentation for the Riverwalk Tribute. Thank you to Dave Farrell and Wild Hearts for hosting a recent membership event. Thank you to Pat Demos (Northern Trust Bank) for hosting our board meeting. Thank you to Florida Grand Opera for allowing us to hold meetings in the Josephine S. Leiser Center. Thank you to the staff of the Downtown Development Authority (pictured) for their partnership with the Riverwalk Trust and assistance with the recent Riverwalk Tribute.

Thank you to Renée Quinn (BNY Mellon Wealth Management) for providing leis for the Riverwalk Tribute. Thank you to Mara Mamery for preparing a mock up for our tree bank project.

To get involved, call (954) 468-1541, or e-mail info@GoRiverwalk.com.