CASPER, Wyo. — In the coming months, planning work will begin to determine possible uses for the Platte River Commons land near Three Crowns Golf Course.
“The impetus for this is that we’ve got all this land next to the river,” Casper City Manager Carter Napier said. “We are wondering if there can be a reimagining of the area, especially from a recreational standpoint.”
Casper Parks, Recreation and Public Facilities Director Zulima Lopez said there have been talks on how to utilize the land for about a year. Steps toward official action first came in October, when representatives from 13 local and regional groups met to discuss the matter. According to reports from the City of Casper, all entities at the meeting except for the City of Mills agreed to participate.
The participating groups will each contribute financially to a $60,000 economic impact analysis. The Amoco Reuse Agreement Joint Powers Board will contribute $11,000; the City of Casper will put forward $9,000; Natrona County, the Natrona County School District, Visit Casper and the Economic Development Joint Powers Board/Advance Casper will each contribute $7,500; the McMurry Companies will supply $6,000; three softball user groups and the Platte River Trails Trust will each put in $2,000; and the Chamber of Commerce will make an in-kind contribution.
“This is an opportunity to reimagine, with our partners, what direction we may want to go,” Napier said. “This doesn’t really commit us to anything except the initial analysis.”
The analysis will be conducted by RDG Planning and Design. Lopez said the consultants will use gathered data and public input to create several conceptual plans for the land.
The land was previously the site of a petroleum refinery that closed in 1991. The site was contaminated by oil spills and sludge, requiring a comprehensive cleanup effort that began in the late 1990s. By 2005, the land had been turned into 350 acres of business park and recreational property.
The property is not currently available for purchase, so Lopez said the city will likely look for options that would keep the project under city purview, including options for leasing.
City documents state that the city will also look for locals to participate in the planning process, with public information meetings planned for the future. However, dates for the meetings have not yet been set.
Napier said everything is still in its early stages, though he added that he hopes to see the results of the analysis in the summer.
“Depending on what the consultant comes up with, I’m hopeful there’ll be a re-invigoration in the project and a clearer idea of a direction we can go,” he said.
The Casper City Council will officially vote on entering a memorandum of understanding at its Jan. 21 meeting.
