40. Community Need The City of Troy’s Vision, as identified in their 2005 Troy Comprehensive Plan, states “the Great Miami River is a natural resource that can be capitalized in many ways. Today, the Great Miami River is underutilized in terms of using the adjacent ground to attract people. Attracting people to such a local natural resource as the Great Miami River can become an economic generator, as well as, an enhancement to the quality of life in Troy.” In 2014, the City invested $3.6 million dollars to improve public access at Treasure Island Marina and Park located at the northern entrance of the City of Troy that lead to greater usage of the Great Miami River (GMR) corridor, and inspiring programs like Float Troy and the Summer Concert Series held at the newly built amphitheater. Treasure Island Marina is known as the “Key to the Corridor” and the renovations to this historic facility was the first step that the City took to create a renewed interest in the environment and open the doors to recreational and economic opportunities. It is also the location of the only paddle boat and bike hub for the City. The improvements that are part of the Great Miami River Recreation Connectivity Project will be made along the southside of the GMR and the southeast entrance of City and provide a complete recreation linkage along the GMR Corridor and downtown Troy for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.
In 2015, representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife initiated discussions with the City of Troy on removing the low head dam in Troy, Ohio. The removal efforts will have obvious ramifications to human safety, and will set the stage for greater recreational usage and indirect economic benefits for the City. In 2019-2020, several public forums were held allowing the public to voice their concerns about this removal. Overall, the community agrees that because of current safety concerns and long-term maintenance requirements, removal and/or modification (rock riffle) is likely the best option for the community. Additionally, community members were excited for the potential improvements to the local trail network and waterfront accessibility that could be undertaken following the removal of the dam. Participants of these public forums recognized the importance of the river and the economic benefits associated with a visually improved waterfront.
In 2017, Activate Troy Partnership (ATP), spear-headed the completion of the Troy Downtown Riverfront Strategic Development Study. ATP is a group of private organizations, funders, the City of Troy, and interested stakeholders. This study was commissioned to help maintain and enhance the special character of Troy’s downtown and riverfront corridor, protect its sense of place, encourage investments, and create a dynamic commercial and residential district that instills pride in all citizens. As a result of this study, one of the objectives identified was to “strengthen connections to an active river and trail network”. The Great Miami River Recreational Trail, which is one of the nation’s most robust bicycle trail networks, runs along the Great Miami River through Troy, but on the opposite side of the river of Troy’s Historic Downtown. Letting this world-class trail system bypass Downtown Troy without linking it to an interconnected downtown trail system misses an enormous opportunity to capture the trail tourism that connects residents, commuters, and enthusiasts to an active and healthy way to get around town or the region. This project is the catalyst for generating the proposed economic development and recreational improvements that have been identified in the abovementioned study for the downtown and the southeast side of Troy. Currently, the southeast Troy neighborhoods do not have any direct linkages to the GMR. This community has been essentially isolated from Troy’s recreational amenities, including, Treasure Island, Community Park, the Great Miami River Recreational Trail, Troy Aquatic Park, Hobart Arena, and Duke Park. The fruition of the Great Miami River (GMR) Recreation Connectivity Project will be a “game changer” for the City of Troy, Miami County, and all visitors to the area.