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 expandec Riverfront Commons projectis steep, leaders of and believe it could spur new developmenft once the nation’s economic stornm has passed. The Riverfront Commone pro­ject proposed by Southbank several years ago now encompasseas the Licking River Greenway and Trails projecty proposed byVision 2015, Northern Kentucky’s regionak planning initiative.
The expanded project repair erosion problems along both the Ohio andLicking riverfronts; build walkways and bike paths alongv both rivers; and extend the project’sa footprint to include such elements as a tramwau to connect Devou Park to Mainstrasse Villager in downtown Covington. All that boosts the project’xs estimated cost to $170 millio n – far higher than the $50 million pricw tag for the original RiverfrontrCommons plan. Tough times? Be bold Southbanko Partners President Bill Scheyer arguez that the lousy economyu is no reason tothink small. “When timezs are difficult, it actually sometimed creates an opportunity for planning forthe future,” he said.
“Waitingg would not benefit us. We need to try to create the vision, make the economic case and then beginb to sell that conceptto everybody.” And it seemsz that, so far, just about everybodhy is sold. Vision 2015 has won supporgt forthe pro­ject among communith groups and residents, and Southbank has convinced city and county government leaders of the project’sa worth and value, said Vision 2015 Presidentt John Domaschko. President Steve Stevensz said business leaders havebeen too. After all, securing funding for the project was high on the list of prioritiesz when the chamber took a group to meet with congressional leadersin Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
“Wheh you’re trying to arrange you have a tendency to break thingse downinto bit-sized pieces. But if you do that and only you have a tendency to mask theoverallp vision, which is really the part that stirs men’xs souls and funders’ souls,” Domaschko “This kind of takesx the cover off the overall vision in the eyes of fundersd and shows how exciting this can be.
” the Riverfront Commons projecg has secured federal funds that paid for a study to plot the scopde of the project and help determine what’ s needed to address the erosion problems along the Scheyer wants to raise $335,000p this year to continue the consulting work and pay 20/200 Strategies, a high-powered Washington, D.C., firm that Southbank has hired to lobby for additional federal funds. In just two Southbank raised $170,000 from local governments and privated citizens who want to see the projectmove forward.
Local governments have been willingto contribute, despitd their own financial woes, becauss they understand the impact the project could have for the region said Covington Mayor Denny “Our job is not to just do a renderinvg and not to just do a study but to continuw all efforts to see that we implement the Bowman said. “It takes time.” Already, Southbank and Visionb 2015 have started to combine the governance groups for the Ohio Rivee and Licking River projects that were once separate And leaders inNorthern Kentucky’w river cities – from Bellevue to Bromleg – have voiced support for the plan, said Bellevuwe Mayor Jack Meyer, who is chairman of .
“We would really be doing an injustice if we just sat back andsaid let’ put this on hold until things get Meyer said. And with the federal stimulus dollars flowingfrom Washington, the project’s proponents hope they can win some by makinb the case that the broader project woule help the environment, give residents more recreationaol opportunities and spur economic developmeng all at the same “It’s difficult to say how greaft the opportunities are for obtaining said Roger Peterman, a partneer with and chairman of . “But if we aren’t it’s never going to happen.
” Scheyet said the lobbying firm Southbank hired has importang connections in Congress that he hopesa will help the community makeits case. And Congressman Geoff Sen. Jim Bunning and Sen. Mitch McConnell all have been supportivre inthe past, he said. Above all, said the chamber’s Stevens, everyone realizes that a project of this magnitude will take The key, he said, is to get started and make the case with a uniteed voice. “This economy’s going to turn Peterman said. “And we need to be positioned to take advantage of that.
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