Although Ironton’s first priority must be more jobs right now, there is another action city officials should consider as soon as the push for economic development is well on its way this year.

Monday, January 24, 2000

Although Ironton’s first priority must be more jobs right now, there is another action city officials should consider as soon as the push for economic development is well on its way this year.

Ironton is missing an opportunity to take advantage of a resource that could not only bring more visitors to the area, but more residents as well.

Center Street landing is not too pleasant a place to visit now. Although many people have put a lot of time and effort into adding some special touches by the river, the area is still not developed enough to attract anything except cruising juveniles.

And those teenagers – mostly from Kentucky – are more than just a cause of traffic congestion. Some of them are vandals as well and have already marred the beautiful murals that line the floodwall.

If Ironton is serious about using the riverfront to its advantage, a group should be created to concentrate on getting the money and developing a real plan with goals and target dates to push some kind of development in the area.

And one of the questions that should be considered is security.

Encouraging businesses to develop the riverfront is a good idea, but the city should be a little more careful. Instead of rushing into an agreement just to fill an empty building, city council and the mayor should take their time in devising a plan to get the best possible benefit for visitors and citizens.

Since Ironton has other priorities now, work on the riverfront can take a number of months – and that would not be such a bad idea.

A little extra time might be just what the city needs to create a riverfront development that is really a gem for Lawrence County and a big attraction for riverboats coming down the Ohio.