A reimagined Bob Bryant Park is beginning to take shape as architects and community members this month put finishing touches on plans to build a "culture walk" at the site starting next year.

The preliminary master plan for the project, designed by Houston-based landscape architecture firm Burditt, shows a wildflower meadow, amphitheater, graffiti wall, interactive sculptures and a boardwalk lining the Colorado River.

The city hired the group in February to plan the culture walk — an outdoor trail at the north end of the park that will highlight the history and ecology of Bastrop County and Central Texas using art and design.

Last month, architects invited residents to a public forum to submit feedback into the design. About 30 people attended, many from the Riverside Grove neighborhood that adjoins Bob Bryant Park.

Children painted ceramic tiles that will be used to craft a mosaic which will be incorporated into the culture walk.

Gavin, 9, who lives in Riverside Grove, said he imagined celebrating holidays there — Fourth of July and President’s Day — and playing in the open fields.

Diana Wilson, the lead architect for the project, said some of the best ideas came from children who live in the neighborhood. They use the park every day and have big ideas about what they’d like to see for its future.

"I think these days when children get to a park, they want to celebrate," Wilson said. "They are excited to run and play outdoors."

The main tether for the project will be an existing concrete walkway that lines the north end of the park. It will be dotted with permanent art exhibits and pieces rotated on a regular basis. There are plans for a nature and learning center, an amphitheater to host poetry readings and other cultural events and areas where kids can run and play games. Pecan groves, shade trees, grasslands and wildflower fields will turn nature into art.

"It’s also a very important goal to feature the history, culture and ecological heritage of Bastrop," Wilson said. "It really is a theme of survival and what better way to show that than through nature."

The master plan addresses the entirety of Bob Bryant Park, not just the culture walk. It recommends cleaning the area, pruning trees, upgrading facilities, adding signage and possibly appointing a park police officer to monitor safety.

"We wanted it to feel like one cohesive project," Wilson said. "But the main focus would be the culture walk."

Bastrop Art in Public Places, a division of the city that uses hotel occupancy tax funds to foster art and culture in Bastrop, is spearheading the culture walk project. Its goal will be to attract residents and visitors to the city’s parks and trails, BAIPP Chair Deborah Johnson said.

The group has designated $28,000 this year to complete the design phase for the culture walk, which includes assessing the topography and layout of the park, gathering input from various stakeholders, developing 3D sketches and dividing the project into phases with measurable costs. The entire project will likely be completed in about five years, Johnson said.

Wilson said the master plan for the culture walk is expected to head before the City Council for approval this month.