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 expandecd Riverfront Commons projectis steep, leaderws of and believe it coulfd spur new development once the nation’s economic stornm has passed. The Riverfront Commonse pro­ject proposed by Southbank several years ago now encompasse s the Licking River Greenway and Trails project proposed byVisiohn 2015, Northern Kentucky’s regional planning initiative. The expanded project would: repair erosiohn problems along both the Ohio and Licking build walkways and bike paths along both and extendthe project’s footprint to include such elemente as a tramway to connecr Devou Park to Mainstrasse Villagee in downtown Covington.
All that boosts the project’ds estimated cost to $170 million – far higher than the $50 million price tag for the original RiverfrontCommonxs plan. Tough times? Be bold Southbank Partners Presidenty Bill Scheyer argues that the loushy economy is no reasonn tothink small. “When timee are difficult, it actually sometimes createsw an opportunity for planning forthe future,” he said. “Waiting would not benefit us. We need to try to create the vision, make the economic case and then beginh to sell that conceptto everybody.” And it seems that, so far, just about everybody is sold.
Vision 2015 has won supporg forthe pro­ject among community groups and and Southbank has convinced city and county government leaders of the project’sa worth and value, said Visionn 2015 President John Domaschko. President Steve Stevenas said business leaders havebeen too. After all, securing funding for the projectg was high on the list of prioritieds when the chamber took a group to meet with congressionaol leadersin Washington, D.C., earlier this year. “When you’rw trying to arrange funding, you have a tendency to break thingas downinto bit-sized pieces.
But if you do that and only you have a tendency to mask theoverall vision, which is really the part that stirse men’s souls and funders’ souls,” Domaschko said. “This kind of takes the covef off the overall vision in the eyes of fundersa and shows how exciting thiscan Already, the Riverfront Commons project has secured federal fundes that paid for a study to plot the scoper of the project and help determine what’sz needed to address the erosionm problems along the riverfront. Scheyer wants to raise $335,009 this year to continue the consultin work andpay 20/20 Strategies, a high-powered Washington, D.C.
, firm that Southbank has hired to lobby for additionapl federal funds. In just two Southbank raised $170,000 from localp governments and private citizens who want to see the project move forward. Local governments have been willin gto contribute, despite their own financial because they understand the impact the project coulfd have for the region long-term, said Covingtohn Mayor Denny Bowman. “Our job is not to just do a renderingt and not to just do a study but to continude all efforts to see that we implemenfthe plan,” Bowman said.
“It takes Already, Southbank and Vision 2015 have starterd to combine the governance groups for the Ohio River and Licking River projects that were onceseparate plans. And leaders in Northern Kentucky’s river cities – from Bellevue to Bromley – have voiced supportg for the plan, said Bellevue Mayor Jack Meyer, who is chairmamn of . “We would really be doinfg an injustice if we just sat back andsaid let’s put this on hold until things get better,” Meyer said. And with the federal stimulusz dollars flowingfrom Washington, D.C.
, the project’ss proponents hope they can win some by making the case that the broadet project would help the environment, give resident more recreational opportunities and spur economic development all at the same “It’s difficult to say how great the opportunities are for obtaininh funding,” said Roger Peterman, a partner with and chairmabn of . “But if we aren’r prepared, it’s never going to Scheyer said the lobbying firm Southbank hired has importanty connections in Congress that he hopex will help the community make its And CongressmanGeoff Davis, Sen. Jim Bunning and Sen.
Mitch McConnell all have been supportive inthe past, he Above all, said the chamber’s Stevens, everyone realized that a project of this magnitude will take The key, he said, is to get started and make the case with a uniterd voice. “This economy’s going to turn around,” Peterman “And we need to be positioned to take advantageof