WEST CARROLLTON — City officials shared an update on a major redevelopment project in West Carrollton on Thursday.
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It has to do with riverfront property along the Great Miami River.
News Center 7 has been following the work for years.
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West Carrollton Mayor Rick Barnhart was behind the bucket for a ceremonial start to demolition on Thursday.
Crews will have to remove the former industrial buildings as part of remediation work.
It’s part of the city’s River District Redevelopment.
“The River District Redevelopment initiative is really three components,” West Carrollton Assistant City Manager Dan Wendt said.
First, there’s the commercial section at the East Central and I-75 interchange.
The new Culver’s is up and running there, and crews will start construction on a Sheetz gas station soon.
There are also more restaurants, retail space, a hotel, and townhomes planned.
Along the river, crews will re-engineer the low dam to reduce the drowning risk it presents and add whitewater features so people can enjoy paddle sports safely.
“I would say the Whitewater River Park should be completed by the summer of 2029,” Wendt said.
The same water features people will use for recreation will also have professional applications.
First responders will be able to use them to adjust the water flow in the river to create conditions to practice swift water rescues.
Construction crews will also convert a 29-acre site along the river into a privately-run first responder training site.
It will have a classroom and technical training space right next to the whitewater river channel.
“We believe that first responders, 2,200 or so first responders each year, will come to West Carrollton for multi-day training. And because of this unique, swift water rescue opportunity, they’ll come from across the country and even internationally,” Wendt said.
Demolition work will start this week at the training center site.
The city expects it to open with the Whitewater River Park in 2029.
The work on the commercial development center is ongoing.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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