Community Revitalization

River Center moving forward in Middletown

By http://www.journal-news.com/staff/ed-richter/" rel="nofollow - Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN —

After months of research and discussion, a location has been chosen for the future River Center in Middletown.

The $1 million project that will serve as a hub for those who walk, run and bike along the Great Miami River Recreation Trail will be built on the southern part of the Bicentennial Commons park area, according to MetroParks of Butler County.

http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/middletown-river-project-wins-funding/nj9d9/" rel="nofollow - for projects that serve as an economic stimulus, said Kelly Barkley of MetroParks.

The location of the River Center will allow trail users to access businesses in resurgent downtown Middletown, she said.

This new addition to the local landscape is adjacent to the nine-mile section of the GMRRT, a bicycle and pedestrian path that runs parallel to the river and is managed by MetroParks under an agreement with the city of Middletown and Miami Conservancy District, according to Barkley.

The facility will include public restrooms in addition to meeting and educational spaces. It will also serve as a home base for the new MetroParks volunteer Trail Ambassador Program that will kick off this fall. The building will also house a sub-station for MetroParks Department of Public Safety and Law Enforcement staff.

“We will be working with MetroParks to ensure that the new River Center adds to the recreational opportunities available in Middletown, while preserving the historical and recreational amenities already in place at Bicentennial Commons,” City Manager Doug Adkins said. “We hope to create a bike path in the future between the River Center and downtown so that people visiting the River Center from all over the region can take a break and see the exciting progress we’ve made in reviving downtown.”

Discussions are still ongoing with the Miami Conservancy District and the city regarding MetroParks’ role in operating the northern section of Bicentennial Commons that includes AK Pavilion, Memorial Pavers, the Historic Middletown Timeline and the Flagpole Plaza, Barkley said.

The River Center will “provide a stopping point for visitors and allow them to experience what Middletown has to offer,” said Rick Pearce, president/CEO of The Chamber of Commerce Serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton

“As weather permits, more people come to Middletown to walk or bike the trail and it is our hope that the River Center will become the focal point for our portion of the Great Miami River Recreation Trail,” he said “This is a great asset and we are excited that plans are underway for its construction.”

Final costs and a construction start date will be determined once building plans are finalized.

The http://www.journal-news.com/news/news/river-center-project-remains-on-track-for-2016/nnykh/" rel="nofollow - because part of the river has moved about 1,000 feet since the Great Flood of 1913.

How about the city using money to purchase the Thatcher estate buildings and turning them over to Cincy State for their campus building concept... -- Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Cincy State is still there, still growing, just slower. You have to take a risk at times. However, the foot traffic HAS increased downtown. You might want to go down there on a Friday night or Saturday, get a coffee at Triple Moon and Have a meal at Murphey's landing.

The city also gave to the college, the old Senior's Center which has yet to be occupied - See above.

How about the old Journal building that was suppose to be apartments by now. Didn't happen did it. No surprise here. - How is that the cities fault? Also, things take longer sometimes.

Even the crowned jewel, the PAC, has revolving door tenants and a semi-successful result. -- That happens at all PAC's. Artists are not known to stay in one place forever. However, there is still a lot of foot traffic to and from that place.

The cabinet place on Central with the shady non-bidding arrangement. This isn't exactly on the positive list of happenings in their downtown. -- ? The white building? At least it has a stable tenant?

The Studio Theatre standing in limbo for decades with no solution in sight. -- I concede this one. That sucker needs to be torn down.

The Rose Furniture building fiasco and 350 thou gone somewhere, who knows. -- They need to lean on those owners to make it safe or tear it down. Concede again.

Again, to support my claim that everything the city touches turns sour, this is yet another example of futility at it's best in their downtown plans. They bulldozed the former service station on Main for additional parking for the college which isn't needed with the anemic enrollment numbers. They gave the Manchester Hotel away, part of the Thatcher deal, for a buck, after advertising it for 200 thou or so on asking price, and it is still sitting there empty. They gave another building away to Sue Wittman for her arts program that has yielding minimal results to date. -- With many cities, these actions are similar. You give the old buildings away for next to nothing because you dont want them sitting there not being used. Sometimes you get a good return, sometimes you dont.

I would argue that nothing is neither as good, nor as bad as this forum likes to make it. There has been an uptick in traffic downtown, true. It is not yet to the levels they want, but it has increased. The city should be getting rid of buildings when they can, but when you do not have a lot of people to choose from, sometimes you gotta take a bigger risk.