A ceremonial ground breaking was held in Ripley on Aug. 11 to celebrate the $16,387,086 Appalachian Community Grant Fund project that will go towards riverfront improvements along Front Street at the banks of the Ohio River. Photo by Wade Linville
Work to begin on multi-million dollar riverfront improvements in Ripley, Higginsport
The Village of Higginsport was awarded $6,303,288 for the Slim Sallee Memorial Park Redevelopment from the Appalachian Community Grant Fund Ohio’s Wonderful Waterfronts Initiative, and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, along with his First Lady Fran and three of their grandchildren, attended the Aug. 11 ground breaking ceremony in Higginsport to join in the celebration. Photo by Wade Linville
During Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Aug. 11 visit to Brown County with First Lady Fran DeWine and other family members for two ground breakings on local projects funded through the Appalachian Community Grant Fund, they enjoyed a tour of the historic home of John Rankin in Ripley. Serving as their tour guide was Ripley native Jaki Royal. Photo by Wade Linville
During Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s Aug. 11 visit to Brown County with First Lady Fran DeWine and three of their grandchildren for two ground breakings on local projects funded through the Appalachian Community Grant Fund, they took a tour of the historic boyhood home of U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant in Georgetown. Photo by Wade Linville
It was around three years ago (2022) when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, then Lt. Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik partnered with the Ohio General Assembly to develop the Appalachian Community Grant Program, an investment that directed $500 million into Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region.
The funding was to go towards projects included in the Appalachian Children’s Health Initiative, Appalachian Downtowns and Destinations Initiative, Shovel-Ready Projects, and the Ohio’s Wonderful Waterfronts Initiative.
On Monday, Aug. 11, Governor DeWine was accompanied by his wife, Fran, and three of their 28 grandchildren as they traveled to Brown County to take part in the monumental ground breakings of two multi-million dollar projects, one in Ripley and one in Higginsport, for significant improvements along the Ohio River.
DeWine’s first stop was lower Front Street in Ripley to join in the ground breaking of Ripley’s Riverfront East Improvements.
“The big idea was that we wanted to do something special to help our 32 Appalachian counties in the state of Ohio. Fortunately, we had some federal dollars, and so it was the question of how are we going to spend that,” DeWine said of the Appalachian Community Grant Fund during Monday’s ground breaking in Ripley. “So, I went to the State Legislature, and I said, ‘Here’s the idea.’ And they approved that money. They approved $500 million to focus on our 32 Appalachian counties.”
DeWine said they wanted to distribute the grant funds for projects in Appalachian counties in a way that local communities could make the decisions on how the money is spent.
“We had a couple of big, big goals and some things that communities could work towards,” said DeWine.
The Village of Ripley was awarded $16,387,086 that will go towards riverfront improvements along lower Front Street at the banks of the Ohio River. The improvements will include amenities to allow better access to nearby Underground Railroad and historic sites. A new public gathering space will also be constructed to improve public access to the scenic riverfront. The Village of Ripley has also been planning for the Freedom Landing Boat Dock Project in recent years, which is to be funded through other grant sources and not part of the Appalachian Community Grant Fund projects.
Ripley village officials, the Brown County commissioners, and many others were in attendance to the ground breaking in Ripley on Monday morning.
“It is my honor to welcome you to today’s program as we celebrate a truly transformative moment for Brown County. Today’s ground breaking is part of The State of Ohio’s Appalachian Community Grant Program, a historic investment in our river fronts, our towns, and our future,” said Tony Applegate, president of the Brown County Board of Commissioners, during Monday’s ground breaking in Ripley. “Across Brown County, this program is fueling an unparalleled wave of development of which we have not seen before. In total, nearly $40 million has been awarded for projects right here in our communities – from the Ripley waterfront where we are today (the Freedom Landing) to Higginsport’s new redevelopment of their park, to the revitalization of downtown Georgetown and the U.S. Grant historic site; and major expansions that are currently underway now in Mt. Orab for HealthSource of Ohio and the Adams County Regional Medical Center’s new building.”
Ripley Mayor Travis Arnett expressed his appreciation of DeWine, project manager Doug McDonald and all of those involved in the Ripley Riverfront improvements, which will completely change the look for lower Front Street in Ripley along the banks of the Ohio River.
“Today, we celebrate a $16.4 million dollar investment in the Ripley Freedom Landing riverfront revitalization, a bold and beautiful effort to reconnect our downtown with the river,” said Ripley Mayor Travis Arnett during the Aug. 11 ground breaking ceremony.
The Village of Higginsport was awarded $6,303,288 for the Slim Sallee Memorial Park Redevelopment from the Appalachian Community Grant Fund Ohio’s Wonderful Waterfronts Initiative. The Village of Higginsport will revitalize an abandoned ball field along the Ohio River into a seven-acre community park, creating a public gathering space and allowing for connection to the Ohio River. A boat dock and launch from the community park will establish public access to water recreation that currently does not exist within the village. A fishing pier, bridge, and mural will also be incorporated into the park to create a space for outdoor recreation.
“This is unbelievable! I know Tony Applegate, the commissioner, said that the governor’s got 28 grandchildren and eight kids. I will tell you guys, if you lived here you would be half our population. This is a family affair here. The community means everything – it’s the people, it’s the grass roots effort that made this come alive, and we are so, so fortunate,” said Village of Higginsport Council President Mark Fester during the second monumental ground breaking held in Brown County on Aug. 11.
“Today we celebrate (a) $6.3 million investment in the Slim Sallee Park redevelopment, transforming an under used green space into a vibrant hub for recreation, tourism, and community gatherings,” said Fester.
While in Brown County, DeWine also took time with his family to tour two of Brown County’s most popular historic sites, the John Rankin House in Ripley and the Ulysses S. Grant Boyhood Home in Georgetown.
Other local projects funded through the Appalachian Community Grant Fund Appalachian Downtowns and Destinations Initiative included the Village of Georgetown’s Downtown Courthouse Square Streetscape and the U.S. Grant Boyhood Home and Schoolhouse Improvements (three total projects). The Village of Georgetown was awarded $8,696,300 for those projects.
Just over $3.6 million was awarded for the HealthSource of Ohio community health center and workforce training center expansion in Mt. Orab, and just over $5 million was awarded in Mt. Orab for the Adams County Regional Medical Center’s new facility.