River Run project makes rapid progress

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Momentum continues for the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan, a long-term strategic blueprint for creating a more vibrant center city.

"The progress we've made has been beyond my best dreams," said Dr. Mike Ervin, Co-chair of Greater Downtown Dayton Plan , Ervin said his group is aggressively moving forward with plans to revitalize downtown. "We had a goal of quietly raising half of our $4 million goal, well, we've already raised $3.8 million of it."

Ervin said the plan capitalizes on the 42,000 employees, 20,000 residents, 40,000 students and seven million annual visitors that to live, work, and play each year in downtown Dayton, providing and an economic impact of $5 billion a year.

The centerpiece of the Downtown Dayton Plan is the River Run Project, which calls for the removal of low dams to make way for whitewater rapids for boaters. The question some ask is if it will work?

Dayton city engineer Steve Finke said the existing dams were put in years ago to protect Dayton from floods, a threat that rarely occurs today. Finke said low dams are now a vestige that are more dangerous then useful.

Ervin has been told by engineers and planners that compared to most cities, Dayton has more than enough water to work with. Massive rock dams will maintain the water level while attracting recreational boaters.

"It will look better because were going to have these great, giant limestone rocks coming out into the water with two shoots through each one of them," Ervin explained. "It will actually make things look pretty cool. "It's a different activity that we don't have here and it will bring that many more people to Dayton that don't already live here."

Ervin expects boating to compliment other river activities like biking and fishing, and help Daytonians re-connect with the Great Miami River.

"What I'm seeing, which is perhaps the bigger story is our community is getting excited and claiming revitalization and a piece of history as their own because it's our community doing it. It's not one person, it's not one company. It's everybody working together."

Ervin attributes excitement in Dayton's riverfront plans led to the renovation of the Centre City Building, preserved Premiere Health Partners downtown headquarters, and generated residential projects in the Mendelson Building, adjacent to Fifth Third Field.

Construction on the Riverscape River Run project is expected to begin next spring, and will take about a year to complete.