Tampa Bay planning group honors Bradenton Riverwalk

The Bradenton Riverwalk received a first-place award in the category of Cultural, Sports & Recreation during the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council’s 21st Annual Future of the Region Awards ceremony in St. Petersburg.

“This is a wonderful honor for the Riverwalk project to be named the best in Tampa Bay," Mayor Wayne Poston said after the award was announced Monday, according to a city news release. "We knew Bradenton and Manatee County residents loved it but we are overwhelmed to win a first place in the region."

The city, the Downtown Development Authority and Realize Bradenton participated in the design, with public input, and ongoing management of the park.

Johnette Isham, Realize Bradenton's Executive Director, said the award "affirms that this community thinks big and we all work together."

The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC), which includes more than 40 jurisdictions from Manatee, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, hosts the annual ceremony to honor achievements in resource planning and management in the Bay area.

The judging committee noted the Riverwalk’s “sustainable design, diverse amenities to encourage wellness, recreation, entertainment and enjoyment of the river," the news release states

The downtown Bradenton bus transfer station was among the other projects in Manatee County that received honorable mention.

This story was originally published March 25, 2013 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Tampa Bay planning group honors Bradenton Riverwalk."