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Riverfront plans taking form

Cities along the Great Miami seek funding for tourism, recreation.

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By Lawrence Budd and Steve Bennish
Staff Writers 9:56 PM Monday, January 16, 2012

MIAMISBURG — The city of Miamisburg is making a pitch for $4 million in public funds to finance the first phase of a $17 million riverfront attraction, one of a series of proposals that could cost up to $30 million and transform the Great Miami River in five counties.

Miamisburg Riverfront Park and the other destinations are aimed at reviving downtowns by drawing paddling enthusiasts and other outdoor recreation fans. They’ll all be part of Ohio’s Great Corridor, a stretch that promoters say includes 80 miles of parks and multiuse paths from Sidney in Auglaize County to Fairfield in Butler County.

“You start connecting these dots,” Miamisburg City Manager Keith Johnson said. “It’s of regional importance.”

Miamisburg’s application is among 66 made to the Dayton Development Coalition’s Priority Development and Advocacy Committee for potential local, state or federal funding.

This city is one of four along the Great Miami — Dayton, Miamisburg, Troy and Piqua — that have pooled resources and formed Ohio’s Great Corridor. The group will promote the riverfront at the Fourth Annual River Summit, 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., March 31, at the University of Dayton’s College Park Center.

Dayton’s big project, RiverScape River Run, would remove the hazardous Monument Avenue low dam downtown and replace it with a safer whitewater attraction. Dayton has asked for $300,000 to pay for a master development plan from the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

City officials have also sought $1 million in public funding through the Coalition.

A Downtown Dayton Partnership effort has raised $2.2 million so far, Mike Ervin, co-chair of the Partnership, said Friday. Ervin said he hopes to reach a $4 million fundraising goal by May.

Last year, executives with Cox Enterprises, owner of the Dayton Daily News, announced that the James M. Cox Foundation would provide a $1 million challenge grant. The Dayton Foundation has pledged $200,000.

Ervin declined to name other donors, but said they included corporations, foundations, nonprofits and individuals. He said more details could be released in coming months. The Monument Avenue low dam, built in 1978 to provide a patch of still water and a deep pool for power boating, was the site of a fatal drowning in 2003. The dam has no flood control purpose and would not pose a flooding issue if removed.

West Carrollton also wants to remove a low dam and is seeking about $3 million, part of a $10 million plan to establish Miami Bend, an entertainment district, including a multi-use path and whitewater feature on the Great Miami between Dayton and Miamisburg.

Troy applied for about $3 million toward a $3.5 million plan transforming the city’s marina area into a destination called Treasure Island.

“Troy recognizes that the river corridor has both a rich history and a significant place in our future,” said Stan Kegley, a city engineer in Troy and president of the Ohio’s Great Corridor board. “We understand the great economic possibilities that exist along the river corridor.”

Already the city has launched the Treasure Island River Adventure Series for canoeing, stargazing, nature education and cycling.

Miamisburg envisions its riverfront park drawing residents and tourists to the city’s aging downtown, just east of the river. The first phase would include pavilion construction and earthwork for the park, including steps to improve river access and a trail by local streets and alleys. Ultimately the riverfront park, including a plaza, parking and green space, will be extended toward downtown in hopes of rekindling business there.

“It certainly is critical to us,” Johnson said.

All funding applications to the Dayton Development Coalition will be ranked along with other quality-of-life projects and dozens of other proposals for transportation, economic development, hospitals and health care in the region. How will the corridor projects fair?

“In these challenging economic times, it’s going to take a while,” Kegley said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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