Five years since the idea was conceived, the Scioto Greenway opens to the public Tuesday, on time and on budget.
A dump truck spreads dirt along the west bank of the Scioto River near COSI. Workers wait to lay large rolls of sod, a final project that had to be completed ahead of the grand opening.
The project has come a long way. There was a lot to do: narrow the Scioto River by half, take out a dam and make the area accessible to people.
It was a huge undertaking with a $36 million price tag.
Stantec engineer Bryon Ringley leads the tour. Stantec headed the design team. Our tour begins between the Rich Street and Broad Street Bridges, what Ringley calls the “civic core” of downtown.
“When the dam was in place, the river here was about 600 feet wide, it flowed very slowly, a lot of sediment in the area," Ringley said. "And if you were on Civic Center Drive against the flood wall, the water level was about 25 feet below you, so…really a barrier between downtown and the Scioto Peninsula on the other side.”
On this day, we stand on rolling banks of lush grass. A bike path and a river walk are nearby.
The Columbus Downtown Development Corporation oversaw the project. Its CEO Guy Worley said it took 500,000 cubic yards of fill dirt to create the banks. The dirt came from river sediment and local construction sites.
“So when you think about a dump truck, it holds 8 cubic yards, that’s 39,300 dump trucks of fill…the rest coming from the river," he said.
The result: incredible views.
“Having an opportunity to stand along the lower river walk and looking back at the skyline, I think that’s a perspective that folks haven’t had really in a 100 years," Worley said.
The new banks on the river provide commanding views, including the Ohio Supreme Court building.
According to Ringley, those views were no accident.
“This is eligible for the National Historic Register, as is COSI…so all of these looks had to be taken into design consideration to make sure we didn’t block any views with tree plantings and make sure that we mimic the historic views that were there," Ringley said.
While developers want to bring more people to the banks of the Scioto, they also want folks to get out on the river. Ringley said its’s now more friendly to kayakers and canoers with places for them to launch and take out their boats.
Then he points out the work on the west bank.
“On the COSI side...we put a lot of switch grass plantings over there so it will be a much softer look…And we’ve kind of created a large lawn space right below Genoa Park and the amphitheater over there, so that gives folks a chance to get out there on that lawn and play and recreate and really enjoy the river on that side," Ringley said.
People are excited about what they see with the development.
James King, of Columbus, looked on at some of the new green space.
“Having something down by the river which I thought was underutilized in the past is a really great opportunity for people to explore and see the more natural sites of Columbus," King said.
Franna Hill, of Columbus, said she plans to take advantage of the bike trail.
“I think the space is wonderful. That’s why we’re down here," Hill said. "It’s very relaxing.”
In addition to benefits downtown, city officials and developers also hope the project will improve the struggling Franklinton area. Garth Walker, who plans to use the bike trail, is unconvinced the project will work.
“We’ll see. They’re trying to justify it as a gateway to Franklinton, but who knows if that will actually happen. I hope it does," Walker said.
Worley is convinced the Sciot Greenway will benefit Franklinton. He said the Scioto Mile and the Columbus Commons sparked millions of dollars in private investment.
“We believe adding the 33 acres of greenspace here will be the catalyst for redevelopment for the peninsula and into Franklinton," Worley said.
The Scioto Greenway opens Tuesday afternoon at 3:30. Festivities will include fireworks around 6:30 p.m..