As City Park marks the completion of the latest enhancements to its popular Big Lake attraction Tuesday, officials are looking ahead to the next phase: a boathouse featuring a small waterfront restaurant.

The nonprofit Trust for Public Land, which has spent $2.6 million in private dollars on the project to date, is optimistic that more cash is on the way and that construction on the new eatery could begin next year.

"We have a donor we are working with right now who we're very hopeful will provide the lead gift,'' said Larry Schmidt, a New Orleans native who heads the local office of the trust, a conservation group based in San Francisco.

Schmidt said his organization hopes to have the $2.5 million needed to build the addition in hand by year's end.

During the past three years, City Park has transformed what was a little-used, 50-acre tract near the New Orleans Museum of Art into a premier gathering place.

In addition to a three-quarter-mile pedestrian and bicycle path around the lagoon known as Big Lake, the enhancements include a dock where boat rentals are offered, a parking lot and extensive landscaping.

The newest round of work -- which includes a walking trail lined with examples of Louisiana's six tree regions, a 700-square-foot deck that will serve as an "outdoor classroom" and state-of-the-art lighting and irrigation -- was paid for with a $1 million gift from New York real estate developer Jeffrey Feil.

At the urging of Trust for Public Land officials, Feil, who made the donation with the stipulation that he not be named, has agreed to attend a ceremony at Big Lake today to honor him.

Feil, whose local commercial holdings include Lakeside Shopping Center and the Galleria office building in Metairie, said he and his family have been "very fortunate'' with their investments in the New Orleans area.

"I figured it was time for us to share some of that success, especially after Hurricane Katrina,'' Feil said in a phone interview from his New York office. "We saw such devastation in the park, which I realize is the heart of the downtown area.

"City Park is like Central Park, and can you imagine New York City without Central Park? How could you not have that park in New Orleans?''

Asked to assess the project he'll see for the first time today, Feil said it "exceeded my expectations. I've seen a lot of pictures as it progressed over the last three years. It appears that people love it and use it a lot. It's something everyone can share.''

Feil's contribution, along with $100,000 from the RosaMary Foundation, was used to build the Louisiana Trail, a crushed granite path that meanders along Big Lake's northern boundary through trees representing the state's different tree zones, from the upland hardwoods to the coastal prairies to the marsh regions.

Each region is identified by an interpretive graphic.

Schmidt said nearly 50 species of trees were planted along the trail with about 150 native shrubs being used to restore Louisiana's coastline. He said the "outdoor classroom,'' which overlooks the lake, will be available to school groups and community organizations.

The new lighting has been installed along the boat dock, on the art deco bridge near the museum and beneath the palms that line Lelong Avenue.

Schmidt said plans call for a 5,000-square-foot boathouse adjacent to the dock that will replace a temporary building that now houses the boat rental operation.

In addition to a small restaurant, the site will offer public restrooms for a section of the park that lacks them. Besides providing food service, Schmidt envisions that the facility will be used for parties and receptions.

"We see it as a rental opportunity for the park that can generate revenue for the upkeep of Big Lake,'' he said. "So many New Orleans families lost their home base, and this could be an interesting place to hold reunions.''

Frank Donze can be reached at fdonze@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3328.