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The Kanawha Plaza and the missing pedestrian link between Brown’s Island and the floodwall walk are nearing completion, Richmond city officials told the Planning Commission on Monday.

Don Summers, senior capital projects manager with the city’s department of public works, said crews are looking toward an early summer completion date for the first phase of the renovation. The city broke ground on the project in August with the hopes that work would be completed ahead of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in September.

This first phase consists purely of city funds, Summers said. The project includes green space, an area for food trucks along South Ninth Street near East Byrd Street and a partial reconstruction of the park’s fountain. Upon completion of this phase, Kanawha Plaza will reopen to the public, Summers said.

A future phase, which is contingent on future funding — mainly from private donations — would include a pavilion and stage and sun shelters. Officials are working on gathering additional donations to construct those features in the park over the Downtown Expressway.

Summers said city staff will return to the Planning Commission at a later date to inform members of the status of the second phase.