Ideas shared for enhancing river areas

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The community gave its input on what developments should be made for the Wabash River Enhancement Project.

A bridge from Brown Street in Downtown Lafayette connecting to West Lafayette seems to be a top pick from the community.

West Lafayette and Lafayette asked for the community's help in deciding where the money should go. On spread sheets people can put the dollar bills where they would like to see money invested. Phyllis Hunt put her dollars toward a bridge on Brown Street over the Wabash river so pedestrians can have easy access to West Lafayette's trails.

"Covered bridge. We would like to see a design like that for the pedestrian bridge. We would just like a connection again to the trails, to the water," she said.

"We do what the community sees is a priority because that will get them excited," explained Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski. "It will help spur investment. If it gets a lot of use, then that really sets the tone for the rest of the development. That pedestrian bridge at Brown Street really seems to be people's top priority."

Executive Director Stan Lambert said the Brown Street bridge will probably one of the top priority projects.

Hunt said she has heard a lot of community members keeping future generations in mind when placing their dollars on the spread sheets.

"Their grandchildren. Bringing them in so they can do some of these activities," she said.

Lambert said the cost is estimated at $400 million. He said they are looking at how they can leverage local dollars with funds available at the federal and state levels.

"For every one dollar of public money we put into this project, typically across the country, it leverages three to six dollars within the first five years and upward to eight to ten dollars six to twelve years. After that, any where from one dollar to twelve dollars of private investment back into Lafayette, West Lafayette," Lambert said.

He said the urban core ideas will hopefully take place in the next three to five years and the overall project could last the next 15 to 20 years

A draft of the final plan will be finished this spring. For more information on the project click here .