6-1-2015
Total project is $11,920; $9,500 will come from ARC funds…
LOUISA, KY — The Mayor’s office announced today that the City of Louisa, as part of its Re-Discover Louisa initiative, has been awarded a grant to begin developing plans for potential river front development.
The City of Louisa will hire a consultant to complete a master plan for a proposed riverfront development project on the Big Sandy River in Louisa. This project will meet the immediate challenge of obtaining a professionally developed plan with factual drawings, cost estimates, feasibility provisions, and a breakdown of the project into attainable funding phases. The riverfront development project will allow the community to focus on and feature the unique asset of the river in their future community development initiatives.
The Plan involves:
- Developing an area around a unique lock and dam structure marked as the first needle dam built in the US in 1906 (Needle_dam_louisa_ky.jpg).
- Revitalizing an existing park and public pool area located in close proximity of the dam, including a scenic overlook of the dam.
- Development of an area around an existing river access ramp located behind the county courthouse.
- Developing a trail from the dam area to the existing boat ramp area, creating a one half mile river walk.
- Installing informational historical markers about the locks and dam, a bridge which is featured in Ripley’s Believe it or Not, the history of the steam boat traffic on the river and the importance the locks and our city played during this time period.
The total project is $11,920.00, Where $9500.00 will come from ARC funds and $2420.00 will be a local match of in-kind and cash contributions by the city. The grant is administered by The Center for Rural Development in Somerset,Ky.
“ This grant was announced shortly after I took office and I knew it fit our needs of obtaining professional planning for a potential riverwalk and park enhancement project” says Mayor Harold Slone. “ The city council agreed unanimously that we needed to go after this opportunity and I began to work on the grant package shortly after” the Mayor added. “ I’m excited, a professional plan of the project will only open the door for more funding opportunities in the future to the see the project become a reality”.
There will be 4 public meetings over the next few months with the engineering firm so residents can have input into the project. The overall project will be a collaborative effort of City , County, and Tourism Commision working together.
