Hamilton city leaders, key stakeholders and a New York City architectural firm hope to make a splash by redeveloping the Great Miami riverfront. Monday night is the first public meeting to create a Riverfront Master Plan.
Native Hamiltonian Barbara Wilks, founder of W Architecture & Landscape Architecture LLC, says gone are the days with dirty industry along the river. "You see great blue herons, even eagles. I mean that's pretty amazing-eagles in Hamilton, Ohio and people are rowing. They've put in a dam so there's a more consistent level of water."
There's already a bike trail and construction of a mega sports facility and hotel are underway at the old Champion Paper mill.
According to Wilks, "What we're trying to do working with the city is bring the river more into the life of the city and find better connections just to make it that you are more aware of it, that you're in a river city."
She emphasizes the Riverfront Master Plan is at the very beginning stages and will include the attraction of shops and restaurants. "It'll be more than a walking trail. When we say the river in Hamilton it doesn't mean just that little edge next to the river. To be in downtown Hamilton and to know there's a river nearby there has to be clues that come even from the streetscape much further on."
The first public hearing is Monday night at 6:00 p.m. at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts.
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