Carrie Blackmore Smith

csmith@enquirer.com

Cincinnati will get a marina downtown on the Ohio River, even though parks leaders say they are unsure of estimated revenues, operating costs and the total amount needed to build it.

Cincinnati Parks leaders agreed unanimously Thursday morning to move forward with the project that is estimated to cost $3.6 million and City Manager Harry Black has included the remaining dollars needed in his 2017 budget released Thursday.

Parks leaders said it was an opportunity they didn't want to miss.

"We understand that this can be a big attraction for our front lawn of this city," Parks Commissioner Dianne Rosenberg said. "And it will have some economic development benefits. It's a revenue generator."

Yet, the resolution for the dock states "it is not yet known what the revenue stream would be ... and it has not been determined if we would self-operate the dock or seek contractor services."

Parks Director Willie Carden said community input will be accepted on the project and then park district hopes to go out to bid for the work in January or February.

"Then we will determine if the $3.58 million is enough to do the project," Carden said.

With the vote on Thursday – which didn't include the voice of Commissioner Susan Castellini, who was absent – the Park Board will move forward with its proposal to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife for a $1.5 million Boating Infrastructure Grant.

The marina has been in the plans for Smale since the late 1990s.

The city is now on track to sign an agreement that would require the city to build the dock within three years.

Preliminary designs are for a 29-boat dock that would remain in the water year-round and feature electric and sewage hook-ups, a concession stand, laundry facilities and bathrooms.

Boat owners could rent a docking space for up to 10 days at the base of Smale Riverfront Park and east of the Roebling Bridge.

How the parks district will pay the estimated $3.6 million is a complex mix that includes the federal dollars as well as state and city money.

It depends on $750,000 from City Council's 2017 capital budget, which has not yet been approved by council.

Then, there is $750,000 available from a reimbursement by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to the city for earlier work on Smale.

Finally, the state of Ohio committed $500,000 in its 2015-16 capital improvement budget to Cincinnati Parks, Parks Superintendent Steve Schuckman said. The parks district would use $401,000 of that to round out funding for the boat dock.

The project hasn't been without controversy.

Some, including Councilman Kevin Flynn, have questioned why the parks department keeps adding new infrastructure when last year it attempted to pass a levy that would have earmarked $4 million a year to address crumbling sidewalks, buildings and other disrepair around the parks system.

The levy failed, but Black's budget includes nearly $2.5 million in capital funds for the parks to deal with the backlog of work.