Mayor: Riverfront key to Evansville growth

The mayor of Evansville says the state of the economy for both the city and the southwest Indiana region is very strong overall. But Lloyd Winnecke says the biggest challenge from a business standpoint is attracting and retaining top talent, and part of that effort are quality of life improvements on the city’s riverfront. Among them is the city’s new Sunrise Pump Station and Cascade Outfall that will officially open Monday after years of planning.

The sewage treatment plant was engineered to mask the treatment of sewage from park visitors but showcase the treated water as it flows through a tiered cascade into the Ohio River.

Winnecke said while the project was a direct result of a consent degree with the Environmental Protection Agency, it is one more step to draw people to the waterfront.

“What you see…is this beautiful cascade with swings looking out over the cascade, so you can come right up here and just enjoy the beautiful Ohio River, watch the barge traffic,” Winnecke said. “But we were really intentional about we knew we had to do something for the utility, but we wanted to make it also destination green space, and it couldn’t be more picturesque site.”

A year ago, the city rolled out its River Vision initiative, which includes changing traffic patterns, the buildout of an amphitheater, and create more visitor-friendly space, and mixed-use developments that oversee the Ohio River.

Winnecke said, however, the efforts to take advantage of the riverfront don’t stop in Evansville.

“We’re using a READI dollar grant to help us flesh out the vision we’ve created for the Evansville riverfront, but we’re also going to use that same consultant to help us as a region look at what could be developed in Mount Vernon and Newburgh,” he said. “Both really nice riverfronts, both have a lot of potential, and we think if we could collaborate and have three really dynamic destinations along the Ohio River, southwest Indiana will be even a greater destination.”

Winnecke said the Ohio River Crossing project, which celebrated an important next step last month in creating a new bridge connecting Evansville to Henderson, Kentucky, is the “last big piece” as a connection to the city.

Another major project in Evansville is the redevelopment of the site that housed the longstanding 420 Main building in the city’s downtown, which was demolished in November 2021.

Winnecke said work on creating a new mixed-use development at the Fifth & Main site has seen some delays, but it is still ongoing.

“It’s taken longer than we wanted because of the interest rate environment, the challenge of supply chain, just the cost of doing business. It’s all slowed us down,” he said. “It will ultimately be a four-story building with approximately 150 apartments and first floor retail and restaurant space, underground parking and a nice big corner park at Fourth & Main.”

The mayor said the city aims to break ground on the $50 million project by the end of the year.