The city of Hamilton's renovation project Vision 2020 has added the Great Miami River to its list of initiatives.
The Vision Commission, headed by Chair Nancy Wiley, is looking to draw people toward the Great Miami, which runs through Hamilton. According to Wiley, the Vision 2020 Commission created a Riverfront Development Committee to help make the river a "recreational centerpiece" for the city of Hamilton.
"(The committee will concentrate on) improving the look of the riverbank to make it more attractive, perhaps by planting trees and attracting restaurants and retail stores," Wiley said.
The Riverfront Development Committee has already started to create an "arts district" to draw in more traffic, Wiley said.
"(The committee) created an arts district that surrounds the river in downtown Hamilton on both sides, hoping to attract artists, shops and galleries," Wiley said.
One of the newest and most impressive features along the river is the Great Miami Rowing Center, which is two years old.
"(The center has) served more than 100 individuals from the Miami Hamilton team as well as eight high schools and adult rowers," Wiley said.
According to Mike Weiler, Miami University sophomore and president of Miami's Rowing Club, "only a small percentage of the Miami students take advantage of the river."
Weiler said others have engaged in the activities offered along the river, such as canoeing, kayaking, tubing and rowing.
"When you look at the river from the land, it looks small and strange," Weiler said. "When you look at the land from the river you can actually tell how big it is."
