Could be on the verge of a breakthrough
Years of efforts by a group of East Side residents to convert an unused rail line between Downtown and Lunken Airport into a bike and pedestrian trail in order to help attract new residents and jobs could be on the verge of a breakthrough.
Cincinnati City Council last month decided to solely commit to converting part of the Oasis rail line into a trail – ending a decade of bureaucratic wheel-spinning over where to build an East Side recreation path near the Ohio River.
More hurdles still exist, but in a few years it could be possible to live in an apartment overlooking the river, jump on the nearby trail and head Downtown for work at General Electric's new offices at The Banks, a Reds game or lunch on Fountain Square without the hassles of traffic and parking.
"This is a huge economic-development tool," said Wym Portman, a board member of Ohio River Way, a nonprofit advocating for the Oasis trail. "It all boils down to building the vitality of the urban core."
Converting a 4-mile stretch of the Oasis rail line is estimated to cost $4 million, and the trail could be done by early 2017. Ohio River Way already has raised $1 million, including $200,000 from the city. The group is confident it can get private donors to cover the remaining costs. The project also has to be approval by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority and Federal Transit Administration.