Now, it’s a waiting game.

At the Monday afternoon commissioners work session, city officials asked the commissioners to allocate $500,000 of their $7.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to a proposed downtown boat launch and riverfront redevelopment project.

The commissioners were receptive, but unable to even schedule a vote on the matter until they have further guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury regarding ARP funding.

City representatives said they have been in touch with Congressman Glenn Thompson’s office and Senator Bob Casey’s office to help provide some of that guidance.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Dozens of Allegheny Outfitters canoes are lined up along the Allegheny River near the proposed location of a new boat launch.

The concrete boat launch is the central point of the proposal and would be located at the foot of Liberty Street on the north side of the river. The preliminary cost estimate is $2 million.

City Engineer Chad Yurisic said the most common question he receives about the project is why it would cost so much.

“Access roads will need to be constructed… the roadway in front of the parking garage will need to be improved… Clark Street itself will need to be upgraded… parking space for these vehicles and trailers will be needed… lighting… green space…” he said, among other requirements.

Commissioner Jeff Eggleston noted that the project is not a boat launch. “This is a riverfront redevelopment project,” Eggleston said. “When you look at this map, there’s a huge amount of utilization change that is going to happen.”

Representing the city were Yurisic, City Manager Nancy Freenock, Planning Director Vince DeJoy, Public Works Director Mike Holtz, Mayor Maurice Cashman, Council member John Wortman, and Council member Phil Gilbert.

Warren County Visitors Bureau Executive Director Dave Sherman and Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Jim Decker also attended the meeting in support of the project.

The commissioners discussed the proposal and posed questions to the city’s presenters.

Yurisic addressed a question about the location of the proposal. He said the outside bend at the spot presents an ideal condition for a launch. Inside bends collect sediment, he said, while outside bends see ‘scouring’ and deeper water.

The spot is as close as possible to the City of Warren Fire Department – reducing response times for river rescues.

The location is also near the center of the downtown business district and should be more of a boon to the economics of the area than a launch in another location would be.

The city’s current launch is at the Warren General Hospital helipad. “Access suitable for motorboats in the city will eliminate conflicts… at Warren General Hospital,” Yurisic said.

Eggleston posed a concern about parking. “That entire area is completely packed most nights,” he said.

City officials said the Clark Street Garage is available for parking, free of charge, on evenings and weekends.

Gilbert suggested that, if the garage is to be utilized in that way, the city make that fact clear to both visitors and residents.

The city did not have new, detailed, economic analyses of the project, but there were some estimates available.

“The Allegheny River that runs through downtown Warren is our most valuable nature-based asset,” DeJoy said. “This will have a positive and significant effect that will reverberate throughout the entire economy of the City of Warren, Warren County, and Pennsylvania Wilds.”

“We are in full support of the multi-use launch and complete redevelopment of the waterfront from Breeze Point Landing to the confluence with the Conewango Creek as well as improvements to the parking areas along Clark Street,” Decker said. “Improvements in these areas will significantly improve the visitor and resident appeal to the entire downtown area.”

City officials estimated a “conservative” annual impact of about $470,000.

Commissioner Tricia Durbin wanted to ensure the county gets the bang for the buck out of its ARP dollars. She said she is looking at broadband internet projects for some of the funding and wants to see long-term benefit.

“Commissioner Durbin, you’re absolutely right,” Wortman said. “The money that we’re going to receive from the federal government needs to be invested in long-term projects.”

“If you spend $500,000 on this boat launch and it lasts 50 years, that’s $10,000 a year on a project that 10,000 people a year use,” he said. “It’s an amazing opportunity for the county and city to come together.”

The city has approved expending $500,000 on the project. It has also secured $1 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) funding.

The city’s $500,000 would apply to a one-to-one matching requirement. The city has applied for more dollars through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Department of Community and Economic Development. If one or both of those grants comes through, they could not be used to match the RACP funds. Freenock said state funds can’t be used to match state funds.