Rural, riverfront communities in Brown and Clermont counties will receive over $36 million in combined funding to develop and enhance access to riverfront attractions, according to an announcement from Governor Mike DeWine on Monday.
Ripley, New Richmond and the Village of Higginsport will all receive millions of dollars "to expand access to local waterways, revitalize historic riverfront downtowns and create new tourism and recreational opportunities," reads the press release.
The projects are funded through the state's Wonderful Waterfronts Initiative, which aims to improve outdoor infrastructure along waterfronts, while improving walkability, tourism and access to recreation through the projects funded. The Wonderful Waterfronts Initiative is, in turn, funded by the larger Appalachian Community Grant Program.
"When we launched this program, we asked our Appalachian communities to think big, and that's exactly what they did," said DeWine in a press release. "The projects we're announcing today were developed by those living in our Appalachian riverfront communities, because no one knows what's needed to make this region thrive better than those who live here."
Liberty Landing Redevelopment project in the Village of New Richmond
In Clermont County, $13,472,404 will be awarded for the Liberty Landing Redevelopment — a project that's been a dream of many in New Richmond, Ohio for years. In 2021, village officials told WCPO they were hoping a state grant of over $800,000 could help transform the village from a recovering coal plant community to a waterfront destination for boaters, bikers and history buffs.
Now, the funding they will receive is more than 14 times that amount.
With it, New Richmond officials plan to construct a river marina, a trail connecting to waterfront access, an amphitheater, a boat ramp, a natural landscape terrace and connections to the US-52 bike trail.
In 2021, a New Richmond official likened the project to Cincinnati's Smale Park, but on a smaller scale.
"New Richmond has this beautiful waterfront," said Lisa Bernard-Kuhn, who sits on the board of the nonprofit Renaissance New Richmond. "That's an incredible asset to our community."
The Village of New Richmond is the largest waterfront municipality in Clermont County; Founded in 1814, it was once a bustling hub for steamboat building along the banks of the Ohio River, just 20 miles east of Cincinnati.
"For decades, the coal-fired power plants were our real economic engine," Bernard-Kuhn said. "Now that those are shut down, and many being retired, it's time to envision a new life for our waterfront."
Slim Sallee Park Redevelopment for Village of Higginsport
Higginsport will receive $6,303,288 in funding for the redevelopment of a currently abandoned ballfield, according to DeWine's announcement.
The space will instead be transformed into a seven-acre community park.
The park will feature a public gathering space with intentional connections to the Ohio River; a boat dock and launch from the park itself will provide access to recreational activities that don't currently exist in Higginsport.
In addition to the boat dock and launch, the village intends to construct a fishing pier, a bridge and a mural to create a transformational space where visitors and residents alike can enjoy plenty of outdoor activities.
Ripley Riverfront East improvements in Ripley, Ohio
In Brown County, the village of Ripley, Ohio will receive the most funding of any project in the Greater Cincinnati region funded through the state's initiative.
Ripley will receive a whopping $16,387,086 for its project — on top of the $3 million the village already received.
"We already received approximately $3 million worth of funding to build a recreational boat dock," said Wayne Gates, village administrator of Ripley. "So we had a $3 million dock project that is currently in the works, we expect to begin construction this year. So when you add the $16.4 million from the Appalachian community grant program, that means that $20 million is going to be infused into downtown Ripley to completely change the way that downtown looks, the way it serves its residents and the way it serves visitors to the community."
According to the announcement from DeWine, Ripley's riverfront will carve out better access to nearby Underground Railroad sites and other sites with historical significance in the area.
In addition to that, Ripley also plans to create a new public gathering space that will improve the public's access to the riverfront.
Gates said he and other Ripley officials have been working with nearby communities on both sides of the Ohio River — including Higginsport and New Richmond — to create a regionally cohesive tourism strategy to tout a regional identity.
"We are hoping that this grant and the economic development that comes with it will allow us to continue to build our foundations of historic and recreational tourism," said Gates.
He pointed out that visitors who choose to stay in the region have a bevy of options of interest, from Serpent Mound in Adams County to the birthplace of President Ulysses S. Grant in Clermont County to waterfront recreational opportunities aplenty in between.
In all, DeWine announced a total of 21 new economic projects that will be funded through a total of $152 million awarded throughout Ohio.
Other local projects have received funding through the program in previous announcements.
In one of the latest other rounds, The Village of Georgetown was awarded $8.7 million. The village will use the money to make improvements to the town square and local historic sites, including the Ulysses S. Grant childhood home and former school.
"With people coming in, they're going to buy and do things here, so it's going to help all around," said Georgetown Mayor Kelly Bolington.
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