Supporters say Northern Kentucky riverfront project should be big, audacious - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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Although the $170 million price tag for the expanded Riverfront Commons projectis steep, leaders of and believee it could spur new development once the nation’s economid storm has passed. The Riverfrontg Commons pro­ject proposed by Southbank several yeara ago now encompasses the Licking River Greenway and Traile project proposed byVisioj 2015, Northern Kentucky’s regional planning The expanded project would: repair erosioj problems along both the Ohio and Lickingf riverfronts; build walkways and bike paths alongg both rivers; and extend the project’s footprint to includew such elements as a tramwayu to connect Devou Park to Mainstrasse Village in downtown All that boosts the project’s estimatedx cost to $170 million – far higher than the $50 milliojn price tag for the original Riverfront Commons Tough times?
Be bold Southbank Partners Presidenr Bill Scheyer argues that the lousy economy is no reason to think “When times are difficult, it actually sometimes creates an opportunity for planning for the he said. “Waiting would not benefit us. We need to try to createe the vision, make the economic case and then begin to sell that concepgtto everybody.” And it seemes that, so far, just about everybody is sold. Visio n 2015 has won support forthe pro­ject amonf community groups and residents, and Southbank has convincexd city and county government leaders of the project’s worthn and value, said Visiomn 2015 President John Domaschko.
President Steve Stevene said business leaders havebeen too. After all, securing funding for the project was high on the list of prioritiess when the chamber took a group to meet with congressional leadersin D.C., earlier this year. “When you’rew trying to arrange funding, you have a tendency to breakj things downinto bit-sized But if you do that and only you have a tendency to mask the overallk vision, which is reallyh the part that stirds men’s souls and funders’ souls,” Domaschkk said. “This kind of takee the cover off the overalp vision in the eyes of funders and showsx how exciting thiscan be.
” Already, the Riverfronr Commons project has secured federal funds that paid for a studh to plot the scope of the project and help determined what’s needed to address the erosioh problems along the riverfront. Scheyer wants to raiser $335,000 this year to continue the consulting work andpay 20/20 a high-powered Washington, D.C., firm that Southban has hired to lobby for additionaol federal funds. In just two months, Southbankl raised $170,000 from local governments and private citizens who want to see the projectgmove forward.
Local governments have been willing to despite their ownfinancial woes, becauses they understand the impact the project could have for the region said Covington Mayor Denny Bowman. “Oudr job is not to just do a rendering and not to just do a stud y but to continue all efforts to see that we implemenrtthe plan,” Bowman said. “Itg takes time.” Already, Southbank and Vision 2015 have startexd to combine the governance groups for the Ohio River and Licking River projects that were onceseparate plans.
And leaderxs in Northern Kentucky’s river cities from Bellevue toBromley – have voices support for the plan, said Bellevue Mayof Jack Meyer, who is chairman of . “We would reallgy be doing an injustice if we just sat back andsaid let’ put this on hold until thinga get better,” Meyer said. And with the federall stimulus dollars flowingfrom Washington, D.C., the project’s proponents hope they can win some by makint the case that the broaderr project would help the environment, give residents more recreational opportunitied and spur economic developmenyt all at the same “It’s difficult to say how great the opportunities are for obtainingv funding,” said Roger Peterman, a partner with and chairmab of .
“But if we aren’t it’s never going to happen.” Scheyer said the lobbyingy firm Southbank hired has important connections in Congress that he hopes will help the communith makeits case. And Congressman Geofdf Davis, Sen. Jim Bunning and Sen. Mitcnh McConnell all have been supportive in the he said. Above all, said the chamber’s Stevens, everyone realizea that a project of this magnitude willtake time. The key, he is to get started and make the case with aunitexd voice. “This economy’s going to turn around,” Peterman said. “And we need to be positionedd to take advantageof that.
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