‘Our big, beautiful brownfield’; West Carrollton kicks off river district redevelopment

The event was held at a 28-acre former wastewater treatment plant and brownfield site, which is slated to become a $4.6 million first responder training center called “Rescue World,” which will be operated in partnership with Crash Course Village, Howell Rescue Systems, and LION Protects.

This facility will draw approximately 2,200 first responders annually, Wendt said, where they will take part in multi-day advanced extrication, burn, high-angle, and swift-water rescue training.

It is projected to create 20 direct jobs while strengthening regional emergency preparedness amid increasing flood events, according to the city of West Carrollton.

“We stand here along the banks of the Great Miami River. It’s easy to see why our elected officials had the vision to believe that this place could once again be an engine of economic opportunity,” Wendt said. “For generations, West Carrollton was known for its strength in manufacturing in paper production. Those industries built our middle class and shaped our identity.”

But like many communities, there were economic shifts that led to industrial decline and workforce reductions, Wendt said.

“Rather than accept that trajectory, our elected leaders have made a deliberate decision that West Carrollton would reinvent itself, take an active approach to eliminate blight, and work with our regional partners to build up our community,” Wendt said.

Economic growth, environmental revitalization, and enhanced quality of life were at the core of what city administrators, elected officials, and private developers said the West Carrollton’s River District redevelopment was about.

“This is going to be a redevelopment project that is going to see...incredible economic development, the opportunity for jobs, and revitalization,” said U.S. House Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton. “And I’m very proud to have worked to secure $3 million of federal funds, which will help the redevelopment of this property.”

The River District, a mixed-use project along the Great Miami River, is envisioned as “a thriving, walkable destination” featuring restaurants, retail, public amenities, housing and recreation, the city previously said. The district is “a key component” of West Carrollton’s long-range redevelopment strategy, according to the city.

“It’s going to take all of us to support you in this project, but it is going to be a project for the region,” Turner said.

The entire value of the envisioned River District development is estimated at $108 million, according to Wendt, who said the city has had about $22 million committed to the project so far from public and private partners

That larger revitalization initiative began in 2022 and has already completed 30% of design deliverables and critical environmental reports, city officials said.

A whitewater park is planned to be the development’s centerpiece, which the city hopes to start construction on in early 2027.

That district and its whitewater feature are projected to attract 105,000 visitors to the area each year, based upon a market study, City Manager Amber Holloway previously told the West Carrollton City Council.

Creation of the whitewater park is estimated to cost between $25 million and $30 million, Holloway said. That includes a river surfing and operations center, a recreation channel/flume, dam safety reconstruction efforts and final design and construction management, this news outlet previously reported.

So far, the following funds have been committed to the whitewater park, according to the city: $14 million in local funds, $3 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, $1.25 million in state funds, and $735,000 in funds from Montgomery County.

Announced last year, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources is providing funding for the recreational and economic development projects along the Great Miami River through two separate grants.

The grants will support two key initiatives:

Additional aspects of the River District redevelopment include: