New $103 Million Greenway a Park, Stormwater Solution in Cincinnati

The $103 million Lick Run Greenway opened this week in Cincinnati. The park doubles as a "bio-engineered greenway," running between Queen City and Westwood avenues in South Fairmount.

According to an article by Sina Gebre-Ab and Marial Carbone, the project "began its life as a court-ordered solution to the 400 million gallons of raw sewage overflowing into Mill Creek from Cincinnati sewers each year," by diverting stormwater from sewers.

"Before this project, there was no drop of water, no drop of rain that could make its way to the creek without first getting mixed with sewage," said MSD chief operating officer Marylynn Lodor. "If you stop and think about that… every gallon that we see running through the Lick Run Greenway, that is avoided combined sewer overflows.”

Officials with the Metropolitan Sewer District attending the greenway's grand opening this week say the project has already improved conditions enough for the emergence of nine new species of fish in the creek.

South Fairmount Community Council President Jim Casey is also quoted in the article talking about the social appeal and economic development potential of the park.

“It's that community asset that finds a way to bring people together,” said South Fairmount Community Council president Jim Casey on Tuesday. “Once you have that attraction, people say, ‘Maybe there are some opportunities to build something new. Maybe there is an opportunity rehab something existing.’”

For more on the potential benefits green stormwater infrastructure, see also new research by Christopher Tirri and Mahbubur Meenar, shared by Planetizen this week.