Topic: 100 Million dollars going into Harris Riverfront?

[Johnnyherd]

Saw a tweet about it...But, the searches I ran didn't come up with anything....how is the money is going to be used?....

[HerdBlizz]

About 20 mil will go Into a few peoples pocket from Cabell county!!!!  Then you'll have about  a 5 mil study.    Then you'll find out that any extension of Harris will hurt the river shad that swim near by.  Then after a year or two of lawsuits over which hotel owner gets to build their hotel nearby the funding will fall through and the bums will still be living in cardboard cities there.   

[MUonium]

About 20 mil will go Into a few peoples pocket from Cabell county!!!!  Then you'll have about  a 5 mil study.    Then you'll find out that any extension of Harris will hurt the river shad that swim near by.  Then after a year or two of lawsuits over which hotel owner gets to build their hotel nearby the funding will fall through and the bums will still be living in cardboard cities there.   

and to think i was worried about waste and cronyism for a second...glad thats cleared up.  do u smells u some fishy cardboard?

[FlyHawk98]

They are putting in a big boat slip, hotel, and other things. Trying to revitalize that area and tie it into Pullman square.

Also doing something with the flood wall if they can and supposed to make it super easy fo river boat cruises to stop and port in Huntington.

All I remember off the top of my head.

[Greg H]

About 20 mil will go Into a few peoples pocket from Cabell county!!!!  Then you'll have about  a 5 mil study.    Then you'll find out that any extension of Harris will hurt the river shad that swim near by.  Then after a year or two of lawsuits over which hotel owner gets to build their hotel nearby the funding will fall through and the bums will still be living in cardboard cities there.   

Only funny because it's probably true.

[goherd73]

From the City Facebook page...

Huntington City Council voted 10-1 Monday to approve an ordinance that is the
first step toward a multi-phase development project at Harris Riverfront Park.

The ordinance authorizes Mayor Steve Williams to enter into a lease agreement with Riverwalk, LLC, for the proposed $100 million, multi-phase
development project that will include a full-service marina with 260 boat slips, a dry dock area, lifts, a boat repair and retail shop, a boardwalk with shopping and eventually condominiums.

The lease with Riverwalk, LLC, will be for 25 years with an option for a 25-year extension. The city will receive $1,200 annually for the first five years of the project. Beginning in the sixth year, the city will receive 12 percent of the net income from the property. Riverwalk's lease payment to the city will increase to 30 percent of the net income by the 12th year. Riverwalk will also be responsible for providing insurance on the project, paying property taxes and maintaining the development.

In return, the city will make a commitment to apply for grants that will assist in the funding of the project.

The lease agreement is the result of a decades-old lawsuit between the City of Huntington and the former Huntington Marine Services, Inc., that was settled last year. The legal dispute involved Huntington Marine Services' (now Riverwalk) attempts to construct a barge-mooring facility along the Ohio River in Westmoreland. The city blocked the plan several times, but a circuit court judge eventually ruled in Huntington Marine Services' favor, but had yet to establish financial damages.

Attorney Steven K. Nord, who represented the city in the litigation, told City Council members the financial damages against the city could have been
as much as $20 million.
.

[svherd]

Wow! Love the negativity. Must be a tough life.

[QuickStrike]

They are putting in a big boat slip, hotel, and other things. Trying to revitalize that area and tie it into Pullman square.

Also doing something with the flood wall if they can and supposed to make it super easy fo river boat cruises to stop and port in Huntington.

All I remember off the top of my head.

Good time to put in a hotel with all the amenities that puts to rest any reason why football teams would not want to come to Huntington to play Marshall.

[MUsince96]

Sounds pretty cool. Pleasantly surprised something like that will be in Huntington.

[kjh]

Sounds pretty cool. Pleasantly surprised something like that will be in Huntington.

Too little too late. Don't  hold you're breath.

[herd2win]

Amazed by the negativity of some posters...I have lived away from Huntington for over 20 years now in many parts of the country and what I know is that MU is stronger now then 20 years ago, the metro area including the Bville has grown since then and people are putting an effort in making downtown a nice place...

Why be critical of people working to make the city better?  I love visiting and enjoying my Herd.

[svherd]

Amazed by the negativity of some posters...I have lived away from Huntington for over 20 years now in many parts of the country and what I know is that MU is stronger now then 20 years ago, the metro area including the Bville has grown since then and people are putting an effort in making downtown a nice place...

Why be critical of people working to make the city better?  I love visiting and enjoying my Herd.

Amen. The same people always bitch about the area not trying to progress and then piss on us when some good news comes our way. The idiocy of it is, they don't seem to comprehend what is good for Huntington is good for Marshall and vice versa. Maybe they need to cheer for the school up north and 'Hole.

[bbcard1]

Were it not for Marshall, Huntington would be Bluefield.

Hope it happens. Most likely you'll end up with about $10 mm spent, but that's better than nothing.

[svherd]

Were it not for Marshall, Huntington would be Bluefield.

Hope it happens. Most likely you'll end up with about $10 mm spent, but that's better than nothing.

The same could be said about most college towns. Morganhole, Happy Valley, Champaign, IL, Blacksburg, etc.

Just don't see why people continue to beat the dead horse. I travel extensively and Huntington isn't the only city with issues. Have yet to see the perfect city. Although Vancouver may come close. jmo.

[bbcard1]

Glad Huntington has worked out for you sv. Sincerely mean that. You don't have a very objective view of the city and I'm more than fine with that. God bless ya.

[svherd]

Glad Huntington has worked out for you sv. Sincerely mean that. You don't have a very objective view of the city and I'm more than fine with that. God bless ya.

Not pointing a finger at you and I understand the criticism some have, its been posted many, many times. I see the old housing, the drug issues, lack of industry BUT why continue with it? It's like some get their jollies from tearing the city down. Yeah, it's not Lexington or Charlotte or Greenville, SC, or many towns. We have our issues - no question. But for those of us who have stayed and enjoyed a nice life, it's not bad. I've had clients in from Cleveland, DC, even Germany and a few other places and they all remark what a nice downtown we have for a city our size as most downtown's are dead these days.

I would think people who supposedly love MU would want the best for Huntington and the area.

[The E-Man]

The same could be said about most college towns. Morganhole, Happy Valley, Champaign, IL, Blacksburg, etc.

Just don't see why people continue to beat the dead horse. I travel extensively and Huntington isn't the only city with issues. Have yet to see the perfect city. Although Vancouver may come close. jmo.

This^.. the only reason I can think people are so negative, is because of the mistakes from the past. Trust me on this, we have a very assertive and  aggressive Mayor. Steve Williams is trying to take Huntington higher than it's been in decades. What does it hurt to try and see what happens? if it fails then you can b*tch about it, until then chill and let it play out..

[Garbanjo]

Not pointing a finger at you and I understand the criticism some have, its been posted many, many times. I see the old housing, the drug issues, lack of industry BUT why continue with it? It's like some get their jollies from tearing the city down. Yeah, it's not Lexington or Charlotte or Greenville, SC, or many towns. We have our issues - no question. But for those of us who have stayed and enjoyed a nice life, it's not bad. I've had clients in from Cleveland, DC, even Germany and a few other places and they all remark what a nice downtown we have for a city our size as most downtown's are dead these days.

I would think people who supposedly love MU would want the best for Huntington and the area.

+1000

[Garbanjo]

This^.. the only reason I can think people are so negative, is because of the mistakes from the past. Trust me on this, we have a very assertive and  aggressive Mayor. Steve Williams is trying to take Huntington higher than it's been in decades. What does it hurt to try and see what happens? if it fails then you can b*tch about it, until then chill and let it play out..

+1000

[BHFIOHIO]

agree.....hope springs eternal.........anyone can be a wet blanket. Grew up here.....worked here ...retired here. 

[2xBison]

Not pointing a finger at you and I understand the criticism some have, its been posted many, many times. I see the old housing, the drug issues, lack of industry BUT why continue with it? It's like some get their jollies from tearing the city down. Yeah, it's not Lexington or Charlotte or Greenville, SC, or many towns. We have our issues - no question. But for those of us who have stayed and enjoyed a nice life, it's not bad. I've had clients in from Cleveland, DC, even Germany and a few other places and they all remark what a nice downtown we have for a city our size as most downtown's are dead these days.

I would think people who supposedly love MU would want the best for Huntington and the area.

SV swing by Roanoke and give him some objective feed back.  It's not all that and doesn't even have full service Marriot or embassy suites like charley west.  Old farm railroad town.  Not ripping Roanoke just scratched head thinking this guy is from Roanoke as he talked HTN down

[Flat Tire 2]

SV swing by Roanoke and give him some objective feed back.  It's not all that and doesn't even have full service Marriot or embassy suites like charley west.  Old farm railroad town.  Not ripping Roanoke just scratched head thinking this guy is from Roanoke as he talked HTN down

I have been in the Roanoke and Lynchburg areas recently and you are correct.

[FlyHawk98]

Every out of towner I bring to Huntington loves the place.

This could be one of those game changers for Huntington imo. If they actually go through with this and do it right, Huntington will grow. We need to start being one of the main destinations for river boat cruises.

The outdoor area is supposed to make it better to host concerts, thus bringing in bigger artists over the summer. The marina and full service hotel would bring a lot of traffic by its self.

I hope they do it and I hope they do it right.

[MUther]

Hopefully the hotel is big enough to house opposing teams and meet their needs.  If the short-sighted people in this city had legalized table gaming in Huntington 10-12 years ago when they voted, there would have been a pretty good influx of cash from the surrounding region.  We don't have much in the way of production here so the same money just changes hands and the government gets a little bit of it each time.  Industry or tourism are the only real hope and the state is too backward to entice industry to the area.

And by the state being backward I mean tax breaks/tax free for businesses, recouped from earners/employees' income taxes.  It's how it's done everywhere but here.

[bbcard1]

SV swing by Roanoke and give him some objective feed back.  It's not all that and doesn't even have full service Marriot or embassy suites like charley west.  Old farm railroad town.  Not ripping Roanoke just scratched head thinking this guy is from Roanoke as he talked HTN down

Damn, I hate Charleston. If Marshall were in Charleston, I doubt I'd ever come back.

We have this thing called the Hotel Roanoke Conference Center.  It's not bad.

I am actually and always will be a guy from Wayne who would have loved to have lived his life around the people and places he knew as a boy but had to make the choice to leave to make a good living and better life for my family. One that Huntington could not provide for me.