Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton City Engineer Chad Yurisic outlines a proposal for a downtown boat launch during Monday night’s Warren City Council meeting while, back, City Planner Vince DeJoy and, front, from left, councilmembers Doug Hearn and Kim Exley look on.

The City of Warren has committed approximately $1.5 million in state and federal funding to a downtown boat launch proposal.

The proposal was center stage at city council’s Monday night meeting.

Total project cost is estimated at $2 million and City Engineer Chad Yurisic said the most frequently asked question is how the cost could be that high.

“(The) concept involves more than a simple ramp into the water,” he said, highlighting elements of the project that would include parking for vehicles and trailers, greenspace, curbs and a boarding dock beyond the ramp which would be cut down to the river level with retaining walls on either side to hold back the bank.

Vince DeJoy, the city’s planner, outlined how $1.5 million of that total is in hand — $1 million in previously-awarded state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funds as well as $500,000 made up of funding from the city’s American Rescue Plan allocation — $473,575.85 — and $26,420.15 from the city’s general fund.

The remaining $500,000?

City officials have petitioned the county commissioners for an award from the county’s Rescue Plan funding.

Can the project move forward without that request being granted? Due to match requirements for the state funding the answer is “no.”

DeJoy cited figures showing a $190.2 million total tourism spend in the county in 2019 and suggested that the launch would benefit the county at large as well as the city. His proposal included what he described as a conservative estimate of an economic impact for the launch at $472,000 per year.

“What this will ultimately lead to is more jobs,” DeJoy said, explaining the launch would also move launch options away from the helipad site at the hospital, continue riverwalk development and be able to be used as a branding tool.

“(I) feel we have a strategy we are trying to pursue here,” he said.

Councilman John Wortman said many of council’s votes have a “relative short shelf life” but said action on this project could “fundamentally transform” the downtown business district.

He said officials have a chance to leave a lasting impact by working together to “make this vision a reality…. We have an opportunity before us.”

Both Jim Decker with the Warren County Chamber of Business & Industry and Dave Sherman with the Warren County Visitors Bureau spoke in support of the proposal, as well.

Decker said the WCCBI board has been discussing the possibility for several years and added it’s the top priority for the Recreation Committee of the Trestle to Trestle Task Force.

“This is a high priority for our organization,” he said.

“Escalation of activity on the river certainly supports this endeavor,” Sherman added. “We whole-heartedly support this project.”