DEFIANCE — A pair of rivers splits this city straight through its heart. Defiance leaders hope to bridge that divide.
A riverfront development concept developed for the city by Beckett & Raeder and publicly unveiled earlier this month is meant to inject energy into the banks of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers. The centerpiece of the proposed development is a “tridge,” a three-way walking bridge that would meet at the confluence of the two waterways.
Mayor Mike McCann said the idea is to take the city’s greatest natural resource — two significant rivers that meet in the middle of the city — and leverage it to improve the quality of life for residents and to help attract economic growth.
“I think for a very long time we have recognized that we have a real gem in the confluence of the rivers,” Mr. McCann said. “Let”s face it, a lot of communities don’t have one river, let alone two rivers coming together.”
So far, it’s less a plan and more of a vision. Beckett & Raeder’s concepts include viewing platforms, pavilions, play areas, walkways, volleyball courts, winter ice skating areas, and park space on all three banks.
The pieces would be connected by the walking tridge, set about 30 feet above the water, and landing at the Pontiac, Old Fort Defiance, and Kingsbury parks that line the banks.
Park space is mostly all that can be put in the area, since the three spots are in flood plains.
Since the work done so far has only been conceptual, there are no firm cost estimates for the project, but Mr. McCann said the numbers he has heard include between $5 million and $7 million to construct the tridge, and $15 million for the entire development.
That’s a lot of money for Defiance, which has an annual budget of about $40 million. And Mr. McCann admits it might take 20 years to see the entire vision turn into a reality. So far, however, there appears to be support for pursuing the idea.
Mike Ketcham, president of city council, said opinions in the community about the project appear split between generations. While millennials are “super excited” he said, older generations in town are more conservative and concerned about the cost of the project.
“It’s kind of broken in to the age brackets right now,” Mr. Ketcham said.
He considers it a quality of life project, and good for the city. In order to pay for it, however, he said the city will need private funding, city money, and grants from state and federal sources.
“We will need help from anywhere we can get it,” he said.
Mr. McCann also framed the proposed development as a way to draw in new residents and businesses and expand the tax base. Mr. Ketcham said millennial workers moving into the city for jobs want areas outside that they can exercise, socialize, or just enjoy the outdoors.
“You have to have a nice park system to attract economic development opportunities,” Mr. McCann said. “We need to differentiate ourselves from other cities.”
The mayor said he plans to budget money in 2017 to hire an engineering firm to develop a detailed plan and get firmer cost estimates. Then it comes down to finding money to get to work.
Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com or 419-724-6086, or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.
First Published August 29, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
