Downtown Dayton:
The RiverScape Project
 Above: The "Five Rivers Fountain" would be created by five water cannons shooting 200 feet into the air. Below, right: At night lasers would be projected from towers, replacing the fountain with a star. In winter, the plaza would be an ice skating rink. | On March 11, 1998 a downtown development team led by David Holmes unveiled a dramatic $24.4 million plan to redesign Downtown Dayton's riverfront. The centerpiece would be a 200-foot five-cannon fountain which would convert into a star-shaped laser display at night. The project, which would also include an expanded Van Cleve Park, a "canal" walkway and a tribute to Dayton inventors, is to be coordinated with other downtown development projects, including the proposed baseball stadium. |
The plan calls for developmentover three phases, the first two funded by $24.4 million in public funds andprivate contributions, the third phase to be mostly privately funded.Construction of phase one is expected to begin a year from now; work on thesecond phase would begin in 2001 and conclude in time for Dayton's celebrationof the 100th anniversary of powered flight in 2003.
Phase one:
* $4.5 million: Redesign Van Cleve Park to include a winter ice rink,interactive fountain, brick walkways, events tent, boardwalk and gardens. Italso includes dredging the river from Deeds Point to the Interstate 75 bridgeto allow for a small harbor and non-motorized boating.* $1.4 million: Narrowing Monument Avenue to allow for more pedestrianaccess.
* $2.1 million: Building the Five Rivers Fountain that would shoot riverwater from five points 200 feet in the air during the day and operate as astar-shaped laser after dark.
* $1.2 million: Constructing the first block of the Canal Walk, a series ofreflecting pools along Patterson Boulevard, which used to be a canal.
* $400,000: Improving North Jefferson and North St. Clair streets.
* $3.1 million: Designing and engineering fees and contingencies.
Phase two:* $2.1 million: Building walkways and scenic overlooks.* $900,000: Redeveloping the north shore. * $2.4 million: Completing the Canal Walk from Monument Avenue to ThirdStreet. * $1.2 million: Building pedestrian bridges to Deeds Point. * $2.2 million: Improving the riverfront from Main Street to the Dayton ArtInstitute and improving West Riverview Avenue. * $2.9 million: Designing and engineering fees and contingencies. | Phase three:* Eventually, a third phase, funded mostly through private investment,would bring a public market, housing along the north shore and housing andretail developments along the Patterson Boulevard canal walk. |
Click below to generate a search on the Dayton Daily News library for more stories on the Riverfront project. |