A one-time muffler shop will be converted into a nature center as part of the first phase of development of a South Beloit site into an area for nature education, hiking, kayaking and other outdoor activities.

The nondescript structures on Dickop St. in South Beloit are clad in white painted aluminum with ample evidence of a former life as a garage.

The dream is to turn it all green.

Officials with the Nature At The Confluence initiative plan to convert buildings and surrounding area blighted by industry for the past century into a nature center and park for hiking, kayaking, fishing and other outdoor pleasures.

The 34-acre site is located near the convergence of the Rock River and Turtle Creek — about halfway along the Rock River Trail that runs from Wisconsin through Illinois.

It’s also seen as a hub for downtown South Beloit and potential catalyst for nearby development.

“This history of the space along the banks of the Turtle Creek and Rock River make the Confluence an appropriate site to tell a very important story about urban ecology,” a project summary states. “It has the potential to serve as a wonderful outdoor recreation and adventures for area families and students.”

The project area is located in South Beloit, but effects of the blight and contamination extend throughout the area and north into Beloit, Wis.

Organizers and volunteers gathered at the site last Saturday for a “Meet at the Confluence” open house that included a paddle trip and installation of native plants as part of a prairie restoration effort.

They also viewed artist’s renditions of the building — most recently a muffler shop — and the surrounding land.

Bill Green, Director of the Beloit College Logan Museum, said on the group’s website (natureattheconfluence.com) that the project area has a lengthy history.

“The higher ground around the confluence, especially on the south side of Turtle Creek, could have served as habitation sites for native people going as far back as the Ice Age, 13,000 years ago,” Green said. “Until the Ho-Chunk occupation of the 1820-30s, probably the heaviest use of the area was by people we call ‘Late Woodland,” between about A.D. 400 and 1100.

“These people built most of the mounds in the region. They lived in small villages and had a diverse economy that involved hunting, fishing, gathering, plant cultivation, seasonal movements, and trade with neighbors.”

In April, the group planted black oak samplings in the area that included as much as 10-feet of industrial fill and foundry sand. Rocks, broken glass and other debris made it difficult to dig holes big enough.

They managed to plan 20 samplings while another 30 were placed in a raised bed nursery for placement later this year.

An executive summary prepared by Madison, Wis.-based SAA Design Group Inc., envisions three phases.

The initial phase includes remodeling and development of the Learning Center. Initial trails would also be established as well as beach and boat access from Turtle Creek plus prairie and savanna restoration.

The second phase includes new parking, another habitat restoration and a play area.

Among phase three objectives will be realignment and restoration of a creek, plus additional trails and more habitat restoration.

The confluence site is along the Rock River Trail, an initiative that supports a 330-mile river course from Fond du Lac, Wis. to the Mississippi River at Rock Island Ill.

A separate trail component includes roads and trails adjacent to the waterways.