A Proposal for the River District

I wonder how many times I have walked Rome's RiverWalk since the section through Ridge Ferry Park opened in 1988? And especially since we purchased our Money Pit on Avenue A? We walk it almost every day in pretty weather and often even in cold and wet weather. And every time we have passed Star House on our way downstream along the Oostanaula at Fifth Avenue I have wished for a civic improvement whose time has now surely come.

Recently a fellow named L.G. Smith purchased the deteriorating Star House property and is deciding whether he will resell it or develop it into a ground level retail space and a couple of upstairs apartments. 

As Sheila and I walked toward Heritage Park yesterday we noticed his workers tearing out what was left of the fence that blocked the small parking area on Fifth from the grassy approach on the levee to the Riverwalk. I told Sheila I'd get some pictures on our way back. And I did. 

We came up the concrete steps from the downstream side of the street and I took a picture of what I think could be the path of an inexpensive and easily constructed walkway to connect Fifth Avenue to the west Riverwalk. Such a connection would allow easy bike and wheelchair access to the River District from the Riverwalk.

Then we decided to just jaywalk across the empty street and then trespass across Mr. Smith’s property. As we tried the path I’d dreamed as the future access trail, we heard a friendly voice, “There’s my first visitors!”

It was the owner, Mr. Smith. He said he had wanted to get that fence out of the way and he was glad to have us crossing to the trail. We talked a while and he talked about his dreams for the property. 

I have no special knowledge of any of this. I am certainly no lawyer or real estate expert, but here’s what I’d like someone who does know some of that stuff to look into.

• Mr. Smith needs good access to the back of his property.

• The City of Rome has a right-of-way that connects Bale Street to the Riverwalk at the back of the Smith property.

• a nice walkway would take very little space along the wall at the Fifth Ave. bridge to the Riverwalk north of the bridge. And half of it is already paved...

          ... and the other half would be easily graded and paved.

Question:

Could the City swap the Bale Street right-of-way for right-of-way connecting the Riverwalk to Fifth Avenue?

Could the city with very little expense grade the path for that access and build a sidewalk along it?

Could Mr. Smith or some other developer remodel the Star House building with a big dining room or dining deck built over the parking area with a beautiful view of the river and downtown for a By-the-River signature restaurant with perhaps other retail space and maybe an apartment or two?

The Riverwalk bike/pedestrian/access would be a great asset to the River District I believe. A signature restaurant here could be a big draw.

So how about it City Commissioners?

How about it civic planners?

How about it private developers?