A years-long plan to liven up a historic stretch along the Ohio River took a step forward Monday.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and other state and local officials were on hand to break ground on Liberty Landing, a multi-million-dollar effort to revamp New Richmond's riverfront.
The project will add a new marina and event center, as well as streetscape improvements and other additions to the streets nearest the river.
The Clermont County Village received $13.4 million from Ohio's Appalachian Community Grant Program. DeWine said the grant is part of a much larger effort to help Ohio's 32 Appalachian counties. Clermont is the westernmost of those.
"We had some federal dollars and I went to the state legislature and said, 'I would like to make a major investment in our Appalachian communities,' " DeWine said.
He added the Ohio General Assembly has approved $500 million for that fund.
Efforts to revamp New Richmond's riverfront have been underway for a few years now. The village's previous administration secured a roughly $300,000 grant for planning and site preparation.
Former Village Administrator Greg Roberts says the name "Liberty Landing" came about at that time and was inspired by the village's history with abolition and the Underground Railroad. The initial plan, inspired by a similar riverfront project in Rising Sun, Indiana, was estimated to cost about $3 million.
The effort to reimagine the riverfront hasn't always been smooth sailing. In the past, some residents expressed concerns they weren't getting enough information about the project. And there was controversy over the departure of riverboat restaurant Skippers in January 2024, as well as an earlier battle over the docking of the historic Showboat Majestic, which sat on New Richmond's shores for months before village officials evicted it in 2022 citing maintenance concerns.
But Village Administrator Kathryn Bailey has said the village is working to communicate better about the project. The village worked with design firm KZF on final plans for the landing.
New Richmond wasn't the only riverfront location kicking off big projects Monday. DeWine was in Ripley and Higginsport earlier in the day to celebrate the launch of similar projects in those communities.
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