After years of adding recreational attractions to the Oklahoma River, planning is underway on how to add commercial ventures that might include restaurants and retail. [Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman]

Mike Knopp, executive director of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, fielded questions from online participants in Friday's OKC Central chat. This is an abridged transcript of that conversation. For the complete transcript, or to participate in next week's chat, go to NewsOK.com

Q: It seems as if there is always something being added along the river. What's the latest in the works for the Oklahoma River? A: As far as right now, we're in the midst of some small projects. We are very excited about how they add to the lifestyle experience along the river. One is the further build-out of our bike park. We are introducing new elements. You may notice a new paint job on the pump track. It's turning into another world-class feature for the boathouse district. We will be hosting the Red Bull Pump Track World Championship qualifier in two weeks. It's another way to drive exposure and interest to Oklahoma City.

We're building a dog park. It's going to be right next to the McClendon Whitewater Center. It will be unique. It will be free. It will have a restaurant right next to it. You can enjoy some food, have your dog out with you, enjoy a view of the river. We will have agility features — we will be calling this Boathouse Barks and Brews. That's coming very soon. Another thing coming up is we are going to be enhancing our recreational channel in the white-water center to add additional surfing features and make it more accessible to new kayakers.

Q: Has there been any discussions to ever connect the canal and the river?