Scott Wartman

swartman@nky.com

After decades of flight to the suburbs, people seem to be moving back to the riverfront in Northern Kentucky.

Leaders in Newport, Covington and the other river cities hope to stop the long population slide with new development and an appeal to baby boomers.

Long-stalled developments, like the 2,000-home Manhattan Harbour in Dayton, have started to come out of the ground. And the cities have started to see more baby boomers, now free of children, move back to urban environments.

To be fair, U.S. Census estimates still show population gains in the suburbs of Northern Kentucky since the 2010 Census. Boone County gained 5 percent and southern Kenton and Campbell counties gained 1.6 percent from 2010 to 2013. But the population has remained at 67,000 in Covington, Newport, Dayton and Bellevue since the last census. In an area that’s steadily lost population over the past 60 years, that’s seen as a small victory.

The 2020 Census should bring good news, said Newport City Manager Tom Fromme. In the three years since the last Census, 800 housing units have either been completed or have started construction in Newport, Fromme said.

“In 2020, as long as it’s an accurate count, I think you’re going to see a big jump in the numbers,” Fromme said. “You’re going to have 700-800 units that’s going to be added since the last census. And that’s just right now. Who knows what’s to come? We might add another 700-800 units.”

In Covington, home sales have gone up 15 percent in the past year, Northern Kentucky Realtors Association stats show, compared to suburbs like Independence, where sales increased 3 percent, and Florence, where sales decreased 5 percent.

A glimpse into Covington’s future

The baby-boomer generation has had a hand in that uptick in Covington.

More empty nesters have started to move back to the city, said Rachel Hastings, director of neighborhood and housing initiatives with the community development organization Center for Great Neighborhoods(CGN) in Covington

“I think as a society, we tell people when you have children you have to move to the suburbs and raise them there,” Hastings said. “Now a lot of those folks that made that decision 20 or so years ago are maybe saying this isn’t really where I wanted to be.”

A row of small cottages in a short side street on Covington’s west side neighborhood might give a glimpse of Covington’s future. Here, in the 300 block of Orchard Street, CGN is renovating five small cottages they call Shotgun Row. They anticipated the bohemian vibe of these small homes just off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard would appeal to young artists and first-time home buyers. A flock of chickens in a coop across the street add an anachronistic exclamation point to the eclectic nature of the neighborhood.

Much to CGN’s surprise, older home buyers looking to downsize rather than younger artists bought all but one of the Shotgun Row cottages, Hastings said. One of the home buyers, Peggy Munson, never saw herself living in Covington five years ago. She had grown accustomed to her space on five acres out in Walton and saw Covington as dangerous. But when she needed to find a new home four years ago, she fell in love with an old apartment building in Covington.

The neighborhood far exceeded her low expectations, so much so that she’s one of the home buyers for the Shotgun Row.

“I didn’t think I’d ever like Covington,” Munson said. “I love it. Can’t say enough about it. The area I live now, I walk my dog, I don’t feel unsafe.”

Covington will use its mix of urban and residential charm to attract empty nesters, said City Manager Larry Klein.

That’s what drew Bob and Jane Hebbeler two years ago from their Anderson Township home to a riverfront condo in Covington. They wanted to downsize but be central to everything, said Hebbeler, 68.

“The river is very attractive,” Hebbeler said. “The Covington side is quieter than the Banks and offers a small town atmosphere with access to the ballpark, restaurants and other attractions that are all within walking distance of our residence. It is very convenient."

Last 60 years have been rough

But for much of the past 60 years, the Northern Kentucky side of the river hasn’t been an attractive place to live.

Newport’s population dipped 10 percent over the previous decade to 15,000 for the first time since 1870 as suburban areas of Boone County and Independence grew by 38 percent and 60 percent respectively. Covington population declined 6 percent during that time to 40,000, down from a high of 65,000 in 1930.

When the 2010 census figures came out, Newport officials couldn’t believe it.

“I’ve seen a lot of development over the last 20 years that’s occurred,” Fromme said. “We’ve done our own little census internally, and we gained a lot more units than we lost. ... I was surprised they showed us on downhill trajectory on population.”

And they still have a ways to go.

Urban areas still have trouble attracting families with children, Hastings said. She hopes attracting young 20-somethings and first-time home buyers will change that. Other than Shotgun Row, many of the homes rehabbed by the Center for Great Neighborhoods get the coveted “young professional” demographic.

“I do feel as we are getting a younger population of young professionals before they have kids,” Hastings said. “There’s enough critical mass. Those folks can help change and improve the schools to help the schools meet those needs better.”