When Ben Jacobson and Casey Burka unveiled plans for an outdoor-focused entertainment district with restaurants and shops on the banks of the Mississippi River near Audubon Park, some nearby residents sounded the alarm. They raised concerns about traffic , noise and what the project might mean for their neighborhood.

In the 18 months since, the local developers have altered their approach to building support for The Batture, as the project is called. They've gradually added programming to the 10-acre site in a way that is intended to show, not tell, wary locals what the former industrial marine yard could be.

Since the fall they’ve turned an old oil platform on the site into a co-working space and installed a broad lawn with Adirondack chairs, picnic tables and beach umbrellas. In

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