Thursday morning, members of the community and Kentucky officials gathered to celebrate a new mural by Tammy Batson Stephens in Covington.
The new mural, located in the 200 block of West River Center Boulevard, was designed and painted by local Covington resident Tammy Batson Stephens. The mural, located on east side of the pump station, is a photograph that was found at the library. It shows the aftermath of the 1937 Ohio River flood that reached nearly 80 feet destroying businesses and homes
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the 1937 flood. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the pump station in the1950s. The pump station is one of 15 stations in Northern Kentucky that is now operated by SD1. It is activated when the Ohio River rises to 51 feet and 3 inches.
Stephens was inspired by the detailed thought and intricate workings of the system that the Engineers put into the pump station.
The community partners Covington Business Council, Sanitation District 1, and the City with the help of a grant from the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. US Bank Foundation have made this project possible. The Haile Foundation grant also contributed by making the addition of decorative LED lighting, spotlights, decorative rocks, and landscaping near the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge.
The City received a grant to reconstruct the West RiverCenter Boulevard, from Third Street east toward Madison Avenue. As part of the project, the sidewalks along the IRS property will be widened, landscaping will be installed, and new pedestrian lighting will be added to help provide a more inviting walking experience between the local hotels and the area around the Convention Center.
The project will be advertised this winter and construction will begin early in the spring.
City of Covington
