About 50 boaters gathered Saturday along the Ohio River for
the Louisville Harbor Association’s annual picnic, which marks the end of
boating season. But this picnic also marked the end of the association itself,
at least as it is today and has been since 1956, when it began leasing and
maintaining the Louisville Municipal Boat Harbor.
The closure is prompted by the groundbreaking for RiverPark Place, a proposed
$130 million development by Icon Properties of the 350-acre site bordered by
Beargrass Creek, River Road and the eastern edge of Waterfront Park. Icon’s
preliminary plans call for 350 condos and apartments, plus stores, restaurants
and a marina. A billboard along River Road, visible to motorists passing Stop
Lite Liquors heading east, heralds the change: “Your view of the river will
never be the same.”
At the picnic, association president Tom Power read a letter from Waterfront
Development Corp., notifying the association of the termination of its lease.
“We don’t like it, but what can you say,” said Power, who lamented the
loss of the harbor’s low-rent docks, an advantage for boaters who can’t
afford the $20,000 to $30,000 many marinas charge for slips.
Charlie Stevens said he will miss “the diversity of the people from all
economic walks of life and races.”
Still, most members voiced interest in the site’s future.
“We want a historically sensitive redevelopment of the municipal harbor,”
said Bert Riberio, who has expanded the association’s Web site (http://www.louisvilleboatharbor.com/)
to share more of the harbor’s history.
Members have submitted comments to the Corps of Engineers, which is reviewing
Waterfront Development’s request to modify its permit to construct RiverPark
Place. Next month, the Corps will decide if a public hearing is necessary to
discuss effects on the environment and historical structures. The Butchertown
Neighborhood Association and the conservation group River Fields are also
tracking the project. Icon plans to share more details at The Waterfront
Development Corp. today (Wednesday) at 4 p.m.