Already this week, a covering went up over the former Capri hotel, located on the riverbank in that area, for the start of refurbishing the building into an office for Leon Lauver & Associates architectural firm.
“Once (Lauver) put that together, it said to us, ‘OK we need a starting point, something people can walk by and see, this is the beginning of the river walk,’ ’’ Miller said.
Miller and Staab talked about the future of the project in the wake of a release of a $66,000 report that involved collecting data, looking at what other cities have accomplished and finding out what Norfolk residents’ opinions on where to go from here.
The project’s supporters hired HDR Engineering of Omaha to collect the information and lead a visioning process that lasted through the spring.
The report outlines future phases that would include a market and real estate analysis and, finally, a master plan. But the effort for now will concentrate on smaller steps for the public-private partnership, the Norfolkans said.
Staab said there is work ahead at the old mill location next to Alco.
“We have opportunity there, with a water fall and pool below. Some work needs to be done with that retaining wall on the north side,’’ he said. “We talked to the Sanitary Improvement District that has responsibility for a fair amount of this work, and they’ve agreed to put some money into that for erosion control and stabilization.’’
The sanitary district board in July passed a resolution to consider partnering with the river walk project. A permit from the U.S. Corps of Engineers may be needed as well.
Staab said he hopes the NRD board will become involved, too.
Darrel Novacek, another member of the project’s board, took something else from the report, which looked at population trends and other projections to 2030.
“The exciting thing is, we’ve got 20 years to change some of these cycles . . . It’s kind of an alarming trend to see some of these younger people heading out. I see (the river walk) as a way to offer our young people opportunities and a reason to stay,’’ he said.
Miller said the project board has been meeting every two weeks for the last three years.
“At the last meeting, I went around the room and said, ‘Do you want to continue with this or abandon it and let the river improve itself?’ and, without exception, everybody said they are committed to this and want to see it go through,’’ he said.
Staab has a list of 31 agencies he is personally contacting. Each will receive a copy of the report and cover lettering seeking support.
Some of the agencies have funds that will be available for further development of the project, he said, and others have resources that will be useful.
For example, USDA Rural Development has a grant program that may be able to finance the next phase of work, Miller said.
“We have put these pieces together, and the project committees keep working as hard as they can. I think it will become a reality. I really do,’’ said Miller, who was mayor in 1974 when the first attempt was made to develop the corridor.
