Bowling Green City Commissioners took another step forward Tuesday in plans to redevelop the Barren River area near RiverWalk Park.

Plans are in the works for a sprawling “outdoor adventure” area with new park features, fishing piers and a new connection between RiverView and Weldon Peete parks.

That planned connection is a pedestrian path built under the River Street bridge, which would allow park users to cross from one park to the other without having to cross the often busy River Street.

The path project is piggybacking on a current Kentucky Transportation Cabinet project to shore up the eroding bank of the Barren River near the bridge.

Commissioners on Tuesday approved awarding Scotty’s Contracting & Stone of Bowling Green $150,000 for construction of the path that will sit atop a shored-up riverbank.

City Public Works Director Greg Meredith said the path could flood if the Barren River rises, but that it would be an extremely rare occurrence.

The path is slated to include electrical wiring for lights and, potentially, security cameras, he said.

Last year, the city was awarded a $750,000 grant from the National Park Service as part of the more than $2 million parks project. Final plans for what features will be included are still being developed.

Also approved Tuesday were a pair of rezoning requests:

•Rezoning 20.45 acres on Kobe Way and John D Jones Road owned by David Alford’s Westen Apartments LLC from agricultural and multi-family residential to light industrial.

At a recent planning commission meeting, Alford said he plans to develop four sites with what he called “non-smokestack companies.”

He also said he would like to develop some of the 160 acres he owns in the area for commercial and retail use.

•Rezoning a 1.6358-acre tract on Enterprise Court from light industrial to multi-family residential for MNM LLC. Plans for the area call for the construction of five buildings containing 40 apartments.