Southbank Partners and the City of Ludlow held a groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the Riverfront Commons walking and biking trail project in this city.
The festivities had to move inside because of the rain.
Riverfront Commons is an 11.5-mile uninterrupted walking, running, and biking trail that links Ludlow with Northern Kentucky’s other five river cities –Covington, Newport, Bellevue, Dayton, and Fort Thomas. When complete, Riverfront Commons will traverse about 2.2 miles of Ludlow’s riverfront. Two sections of the trail — just about a mile in length — will be constructed in 2017.
“Ludlow is honored to be the next project and an important leg of the exciting and transformational Riverfront Commons project, which will enhance our city’s walkability and our residents’ and visitors’ accessibility to the riverfront and local attractions our community,” said Mayor Ken Wynn.
Mike Yeager, City of Covington; Jack Moreland, Southbank Partners; Bob Koehler, OKI; Elishia Chamberlein, Ludlow City Administrator; Ken Wynn, Mayor of Ludlow; Joe Salzano, Sunesis Construction; William Kinsler, Citizen of Ludlow
“This has been a true team effort and I applaud Southbank Partners for taking the lead in making this project a reality.”
One section of the trail will run along the river parallel to the Ludlow’s Memorial Park and baseball fields, which are located at the southwest corner of Elm Street and Adela Avenue. Another section, which will be completed later this year, will run along the river from near Locus Street to the Ludlow High School football field.
The initial construction of these two sections of Riverfront Commons in Ludlow is because of the generosity of the Kinzeler family. The Kinzeler Joint Trust is providing Southbank Partners a 50-year easement — and the right to renew this easement for another 50 years — to allow Riverfront Commons to traverse two large parcels of land that the trust owns along the Ohio River in Ludlow.
“The Kinzeler family is happy to be a participant in the Riverfront Commons project,” family spokesman William Kinzeler said. “The eventual completion of this project will provide multiple lifestyle and economic benefits not only to the City of Ludlow but also to the five other riverfront cities in Northern Kentucky.”
Ultimately, the trail will connect bikers and hikers from the trail on the Ohio River south through the old Ludlow Lagoon property and a city park to connect with the Devou Backcountry Trails and other trails in Covington’s Devou Park.
“The Ludlow riverfront is a beautiful scenic area, with magnificent views of downtown Cincinnati and the vista and hills of Ohio,” said Ludlow Chief Administrative Officer Elishia Chamberlain. “It’s probably a little more peaceful and pastoral than the riverfronts located in our more urban areas.”
Chamberlain said that the Riverfront Commons trail sections will attract visitors to Ludlow — many of whom she said will likely be “seeing the city for first time” — and she believes city residents will also welcome the trail improvements.
“A lot of people already walk and bicycle along the riverfront now, but it can be a problem because much of of this area is private property. In addition, some of the areas are not safe because there is no actual pathway and its difficult for the police to monitor this area and for the city to clean up there in its current state.
“Because of the generosity of the Kinzeler family and efforts of Southbank Partners, Riverfront Commons will make this area of the city more accessible and safer for people who want to enjoy the scenic views from our riverfront.”
The trail also will have nodes – or access points — into the downtown business district, where it will connect with the Ludlow Yard project, a mixed-use development planned on Ky. 8 near the railroad, and the Ludlow Town Square project, a community space next to the Ludlow City Building that will feature a public gathering space for festivals and community events and a train-viewing platform.
This is an exciting development for the city!