City gets millions in funding for Whitewater Park
One city got more than a million dollars to continue work on a park.
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The Whitewater Park along the Great Miami River in West Carrollton has been in the works for years.
“It’s really trying to bring folks down to the river and make the river, which is our greatest natural asset, more accessible to the public,” Amber Holloway, city manager, said.
Holloway said the Whitewater Park Project has been in the works since before she took the role in 2023.
They just got $1.25 million in additional funding from the state.
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Around $250,000 goes toward the final design phase, and $1 million will fund the start of construction.
“We’ve already initiated and completed the first 30 percent of the design,” Holloway said.
Whitewater kayaking and surfing with two channels, depending on how adventurous you are.
The best part — access to the river is free.
“The community has consistently been very excited about this project and I think anxious for us to get started on our side of things,” Holloway said.
She said the city ran a market survey and estimated more than 100,000 people would visit the park every year.
“We think that we can draw folks from not just the region, but a few hours away because these features are very unique,” Holloway said.
Holloway said it’s a great opportunity to make an economic impact on the city.
“We envision that there would be auxiliary types of businesses, like food trucks down the river, places to rent watercraft or river surfing boards,” she said.
Holloway said there are still a lot of variables affecting a potential timeline, including getting more funding, but she hopes to have construction started by the end of next year.
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