Grant would help to revitalize riverfront property

The City of Ironton will find out in two months if it will receive approximately $1.5 million in grant funds for the revitalization of its riverfront property.

The city, along with the Ironton Port Authority, is applying for funds through the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund. A public hearing about the grant was held Tuesday afternoon at the Ironton City Center.

“This is a major project,” Mayor Rich Blankenship said. “This is another piece of the puzzle to be able to revitalize the riverfront.”

If the city receives the grant, the funds will be used to revitalize a pieces of property known as the Brammer parcel, owned by the Ironton Port Authority, and the Wharf parcel, which is owned by the city. The properties lie between undeveloped riverbank to the north and the Fuzzy Duck restaurant to the south.

“We want to be able to use it in a more community-friendly way,” Blankenship said. “…. We want to market it as a commercial retail area.”

The Clean Ohio grant application requires at least a 25 percent community match, which was exceeded in this instance, said Michael Weinstein, of Superior Environment Corp, who serves at the environmental consultant for the project.

Besides funds from the city, the 30 percent match includes in-kind donations from private donors, Blankenship said.

The project has a good chance of receiving funding, the mayor said. Currently the project is ranked No. 2 in the state.

The city has been successful at obtaining Clean Ohio funds in the past. The Ironton Iron and Lawrence County General Hospital projects were both funded through the program.

“When you talk to the state about Clean Ohio, Ironton sticks out,” Blankenship said.

“They really like working with the City of Ironton,” Weinstein added.

In all, the state allocates a minimum of $20 million for Clean Ohio projects statewide, Weinstein said. “They anticipate being able to fund 12 or 13 projects,” he said.

In addition to the Clean Ohio grant, the city has also applied for another $1.1 million in funding for bike and walking trails, Weinstein said.

Ralph Kline, assistant director of the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization, said the project is one part of an overall plan to revitalize Ironton. The plan includes bringing a residential area to downtown Ironton, helping draw traffic downtown and adding a travel and tourism component to the area.

If the city receives the grant, Weinstein said he anticipates that construction on the project could start as early as June or July and be completed by the end of the year. The city could feasibly start marketing the property to developers by around this time next year, Weinstein said.

The Clean Ohio funds will be awarded in May.