Fundraising for river project on track

Removing low dam to allow recreation is focus.

Man, 68, drowns at Caesar Creek Lake
Updated 20 min. ago
Water rescues prompt warning from health officials
11:42 p.m.
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
11:37 p.m.
Raleigh Trammell’s defense opens in felony trial
11:37 p.m.
UD to move satellite campus to Dublin
11:32 p.m.
> More headlines

By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer 2:12 AM Thursday, September 1, 2011

DAYTON — Fundraising is on track for a $4 million project to remove the hazardous Monument Avenue low dam downtown and replace it with two structures that would create a venue for a wide variety of river recreation from fishing to kayaking and canoeing.

That’s the message from Mike Ervin, point man for the project and co-chair of the Downtown Dayton Partnership. Ervin spent two hours Wednesday updating a crowd of young professionals and other business people at the Dayton Racquet Club. He said he expects to have funding lined up before year’s end for what’s being called “River Run at RiverScape.”

The river project, which has secured a $1 million challenge grant from the James M. Cox Foundation, is the centerpiece for the Downtown Dayton Plan, designed to drive new business and thousands of more residents.

Ervin said $313 million is being spent on projects now under way to revitalize downtown Dayton, including a reuse study of targeted buildings, construction of the $70 million General Electric Aviation EPISCenter on UD’s campus, a third Tech Town office building, and new UD student housing on Caldwell Street.

Another $423 million is targeted for projects in development that include making Dayton more bicycle-friendly, reconstruction of Brown Street near UD, replacement and repair of bridges and a Patterson Boulevard Canal Parkway project to extend a pedestrian walkway.

Aside from River Run, other project priorities are shaping up that will by 2013 alter the look of downtown Dayton. They include Courthouse Square renovation at an estimated cost of $2 million to $4 million; connecting downtown assets through creative lighting schemes - a tactic used in other revitalized downtowns - to brighten up Cooper Park, Dave Hall Plaza and the Oregon Arts District. It would cost an estimated $400,000.

Finally, there would be strategic promotions to reinforce downtown as an entertainment and arts district at a cost of $4 million.

Share this article