Wednesday, March 31, 1999
Riverfront forums share single theme
People want lures to draw them downtown
BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ideas about what to build on Cincinnati's central riverfront have ranged from casino gambling to pure parkland. But the thread that has run through all the public's suggestions is that people want attractions to draw them downtown, said Jack Rouse, chairman of the Cincinnati Riverfront Advisory Commission.
“This is the hopeful part of the whole project,” Mr. Rouse said. “Everyone wants a reason to come back downtown.”
Appointed in January by Cincinnati City Council and Hamilton County commissioners to recommend what to build between the new stadiums for the Bengals and Reds, Mr. Rouse's group has heard from hundreds of citizens in its public forums.
While the ideas have varied, concerns about public safety and parking have been raised repeatedly, Mr. Rouse said.
“Those have to be our top priorities,” said Cincinnati City Councilman Phil Heimlich, chairman of council's community development committee.
“The key now is to put in place what the public is asking for, and that's the mission of the riverfront advisers over the next few months,” he said.
Above all, Mr. Rouse said, the public forums have shown “overwhelming support to reconnect with the river and re connect with history.”
In addition to getting ideas from the public, Mr. Rouse's group has hired Economic Research Associates, a market research firm with offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
The firm is studying Greater Cincinnati and will help the commission determine what kind of development on the riverfront the region will support, Mr. Rouse said.
The answer to that question is important. Some business owners have raised concerns that the wrong mix of businesses on Cincinnati's riverfront could hurt shops and restaurants in the core of downtown.
And nobody wants a faddish entertainment complex that fails, leaving the city's prized riverfront with empty, hulking structures.
The group is supposed to have a recommendation ready for the city and county in June, a deadline Mr. Rouse said his group can meet.
So far, city and county officials are pleased with the progress.
“I'm encouraged by their willingness to reach out in the community,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Beddinghaus. “It sounds like they're getting a good amount of feedback from the different community groups.”
PUBLIC FORUMS
The Cincinnati Riverfront Advisory Commission has three more public forums scheduled:
• 7 p.m. today at Green Township Hall, 6303 Harrison Ave. The group wants to hear from western Hamilton County residents.
• 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Urban League Building, 3458 Reading Road. The group wants to hear from African-American residents.
• 6:30 p.m. April 8 at the Union Township Hall in Clermont County, 4312 Glen Este-Withamsville Road. The group wants to hear from residents of Anderson Township and Clermont County.
People can offer suggestions through the group's Web site:
www.riverfrontplanning.org
Or call 381-0055, ext. 425, or fax ideas to 381-2691.
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