The city of Tuscaloosa will spend $550,000 to extend its iconic Riverwalk after tentatively receiving a major grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, a city spokesperson announced Tuesday morning.

Richard Rush, the city's director of communications, said ADECA has tentatively awarded the city a $342,699 grant from its Recreation Trails Program and that the city will provide a the remaining $207,301 to fund the extension.

The grant will be officially awarded in the 2020 fiscal year, which begins in October.

Rush said this project will focus on expanding the Riverwalk westward in conjunction with the city's West End Revitalization and Economic Development Plan. He said it will start around the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater and move into the West End, enhancing access to public transportation, economic opportunities and recreational outlets for the residents of western Tuscaloosa.

The city also plans to expand the Riverwalk northward as part of the Riverwalk Master Plan, but those plans will not be funded by this grant.

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