For Immediate Release 920-261-5185; Ellen Rulseh 920-
July 11, 2005 674-7443
Mayor’s Riverwalk Committee Reaches Out to Residents, Businesses
Context for Downtown Riverwalk Expansion, by Steve Grabow
Watertown’s riverfront has received a lot of attention over the past several years. Initially, the Main Street Program sponsored a student-led conceptual design for a Riverwalk expansion along both sides of the Rock River from Cady Street on the north to Church Street on the south. Subsequently, the City hired Vandewalle & Associates to lead the development of the City of Watertown Riverfront Plan, which was finalized earlier this year after extensive visioning and community input. This general master plan presents a redevelopment strategy to transform the riverfront into a vibrant focal point for the community and the region.
The plan calls for a continuous, but varying, Riverwalk that extends along both sides of the river and is punctuated with various points of interest for recreation, art, education, commerce and casual interaction. It contemplates that the Riverwalk expansion would be phased in over a period of several years, and its construction would be coordinated with both private redevelopment and public projects, such as stream bank restoration, seawall reconstruction and a series of “information stations” to help tell the story of Watertown, past and present to residents and visiting tourists alike. Critical considerations in plan implementation include phasing, funding mechanisms and communication with landowners and the general citizenry.
Given the widespread interest in the initiative, along with the complexity of such a public-private venture, Mayor John David assembled a leadership team to assist in the pursuit of this project. The ad hoc group was named the Mayor’s Riverwalk Committee and its mission or purpose is to assist the Mayor in guiding implementation of the Riverwalk expansion. The group began meeting in February, and the committee includes: John Steber, Director, Watertown Parks Department and Watertown resident; Yvonne Duesterhoeft, Empire Property and Jefferson County
Board and Watertown resident; Greg David, Jefferson County Board; Gail Towers MacAskill, Main Street Program Director and Watertown resident; Steve Grabow, Professor, UW-Extension, and Watertown native; Scott Koegler, U. S. Department of Agriculture and Watertown resident; Dennis Heling, Jefferson County Economic Development Consortium and Watertown resident; Mark Weaver, National Parks Service Rivers and Trails Program; Dave Schaefer, Rock River Rescue Representative and Watertown resident; Augie Tietz, Watertown City Council and Rotary Member and Watertown resident; and Ellen Rulseh, Community Outreach Coordinator, Rock River Coalition.
In recognizing the importance of a public and private approach for funding the Riverwalk expansion proposal, the Mayor and Committee have organized their efforts around several activities. These include the development of a Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) district process, engaging major property owners including the Empire Globe properties, facilitating City and other approvals, education and the details of Riverwalk design and construction.
This newspaper series is intended to educate the Watertown citizenry about the planned Riverwalk expansion project, to stimulate interest and to increase public participation in further shaping benefits to the community. In future articles, the economic implications of the project, the fundamentals of the TIF district approach, and other aspects of the project will be presented.
Steve Grabow is Professor of Community Development, UW-Extension Jefferson and a native of Watertown.
