Manitowoc's Red Arrow Park is getting its biggest historic investment yet, with nearly $1 million in upgrades designed to make the lakefront destination accessible to everyone.The comprehensive renovation project will transform Red Arrow Beach with new access points, safer pathways, and enhanced spaces for summer events. At the center of the plan is ensuring all community members can reach the water, regardless of their mobility needs.Watch the full broadcast here: Manitowoc's Red Arrow Park gets accessibility upgrade for all visitors"What it's really doing is increasing community. It's helping people feel connected being reminded that they're not forgotten and left on the outside looking in," said Wendy Hutterer, director of ADRC of the Lakeshore.Advocates emphasize that access to outdoor spaces can have a lasting impact on quality of life, especially for those navigating mobility changes."It's not necessarily that their reduction in movement is a barrier to these spaces. It's that we don't have areas where their new way of moving is able to meet that need," Hutterer said.The ambitious renovation includes accessible ramps to the beach, new stairs connecting the parking lot to the pedestrian path, and a complete parking lot reconfiguration aimed at improving safety. A winding ADA-compliant path will link the plaza, seating areas, main walkway, and beach, creating a continuous route throughout the park.The beach will remain open during construction, though visitors can expect some temporary closures as work progresses."A lot of construction. The parking lot will be completely redone for safety and better accessibility," said Brock Wetenkamp, City of Manitowoc parks planner.Wetenkamp noted that accessibility has been a priority across multiple park projects in recent years."Basically everything that's there will be accessible to people of all abilities," Wetenkamp said.The project also introduces a new gathering space designed to enhance the community experience at the popular lakefront destination.For Hutterer, the upgrades represent more than just a construction project."This isn't just wood and mortar and builders coming out. It's what we're creating in the sense of connecting people to something that is truly sentimental healing and just connecting in so many ways," Hutterer said.Construction on the beach access project is set to begin this spring, with a goal of having everything completed by Independence Day 2026."This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy." ...read more read less