The road is a main connector within the River District, a mixed-use development project just off Interstate 75 and along the Great Miami River, one planned to include a whitewater park, retail shops, restaurants, housing, a hotel and other amenities.
Mayor Rick Barnhart said Sanner Way is not just naming a road, “it’s celebrating a legacy.”
Sanner, who served West Carrollton for more than 36 years in various leadership roles, including 16 years as mayor, was involved in the initial phases of the development.
“He gave our community more than just his time,” Barnhart said. “He gave his full heart, his energy and a deep commitment to seeing West Carrollton grow and thrive.”
He said the road runs through the heart of the emerging River District, “an area Jeff envisioned not just as a redevelopment project, but as a catalyst for the future of West Carrollton.”
Not so many years ago, the area looked “a lot different,’ Barnhart said.
”It was kind of run down,“ he said. ”We had to tear down a lot of buildings. We had to buy a lot of buildings. It sure looks a lot different now.”
He said Sanner believed in the potential in land near Interstate 75 as the gateway to the community.
“He supported the bold step of acquiring the property, clearing it and investing in its transformation,” Barnhart said. “He supported the city’s effort to bring Woodard Development into this area and to reimagine what this place could be.”
He said that Sanner, “every step of the way,” reminded others that growth takes patience, but with the right vision and partnerships, it would come.
“His work on exit 47 and the River District are tangible accomplishments,” Barnhart said.
Deputy Mayor Angie Fryman said the River District was something Sanner believed in from the very beginning.
“What was once a fading shopping center and an empty furniture store, Jeff saw as a possibility,” Fryman said. “He supported our efforts to purchase and clear the site.”
Fryman said Sanner never stopped pushing to make something meaningful happen at the site.
“He reminded us often that patience and vision were key,” she said. “He was right.”
Fryman said the road carries Sanner’s name, “but more importantly, it carries his legacy forward.”
“Every step of progress we make here in the River District will in some way be a continuation of what Jeff helped to start — by doing it the Sanner way.“
City Manager Amber Holloway said the roadway is “a critical component” of the River District development and part of the effort to further the vision of the district as “a beautiful gateway” to the city.
Sanner, she said, brought “steady leadership and strong belief” in what the area could become.
“It is clear to me that he understood — along with the city’s leadership team — that community revitalization takes time, it takes partnership, and it takes relentless persistence,” she said.
Barnhart said the road is “not just in his memory, but in gratitude.”
“May it serve as a reminder of the difference one committed public servant can make,” he said.
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