Orange county city wants taste of waterfront boom
Port Jervis has been floating the idea of waterfront revitalization for some time. New Mayor Russell Potter would like to see the idea become a reality while he”™s at the helm.
Potter, a native of the river city who knows every inch of his hometown, made getting a supermarket back on Main Street his first priority when he took office Jan. 1, 2010. With that mission accomplished, he”™s focusing on getting the 40-acre parcel of city-owned waterfront turned into a whitewater park with bicycle and walking trails, along with picnic areas.
The city has had an approved waterfront revitalization plan in place since 2009. The next step, said Potter, is to make it happen.
“These are tough economic times,” said the mayor, traversing the bumpy trails ”“ created by quad enthusiasts and residents who fish off the banks of the river ”“ to get to the water”™s edge.
“It”™s a beautiful spot, and it is perfect for a whitewater park,” said Potter. “We”™ve seen what can be done in Newburgh and Poughkeepsie. Their waterfronts are an economic boon to their cities. But as I said, tough economic times can make it difficult to get the funding to make it happen.” Potter said with grants, donations and the help of elected officials, the park, which he estimates would cost approximately $1 million, will come to life and breathe new life into the century-old city.
An existing playground, roller skating rink and skateboard park are on the parcel”™s perimeter, creating a nice fit for waterfront development. “The Delaware River is beautiful, and creating a tourism attraction is just the thing this city needs to jumpstart its economy,” Potter said. “If we could offer kayaking, rafting, canoeing, boating and other river-friendly activities, we”™d create a destination for visitors ”“ and businesses would thrive and develop as a result.”
While some Port Jervians might be reluctant to see change in the county”™s smallest city ”“ its population is under 10,000 ”“ Potter says he has seen the tide turn when it comes to actually bringing change about.
“There was an old shoe factory that sat empty for years, and it was truly an eyesore,” Potter recalled. “The city proposed to turn it into condominiums. A lot of residents were unhappy and were opposed to any kind of change, but when the building was renovated, people lined up to buy them. The negativity became very positive. It was a great example of adaptive re-use of our older buildings; just good, common-sense economics. It helped our residents realize that in order to grow and prosper, we must make good use of what we have available.”
Many of those residents, along with local business owners, are on board when it comes to creating a whitewater park for the city. “We have a committee so enthused, I can”™t imagine they are not going to make it happen,” said Potter. Advising them are representatives from the Delaware River Basin Commission, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Army Corps of Engineers and the Orange County Planning Department. “We want to get it right the first time” he added. “With their guidance, we will.”
The city”™s largest employers are its school district, Bon Secours Hospital and Kolmar Labs. “We were fortunate our state and county officials stepped in to help keep Kolmar here, because losing them would have put 150 families in Port Jervis out of work,” Potter said. An attractive waterfront with activities, walking trails and amenities would be the first step in what the mayor envisions will become a true revenue stream for Port Jervis.
“Right now, our small businesses are competing with megastores across the border in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We need something here to give them a real boost and become a tourism destination like other towns further up river. We need to create a reason for people to stop and get out of the car, not just stop at the light and drive through.”
The 2016 Summer Olympics will have kayaking in its  lineup and is on  Potter”™s radar.  “Kayakers are serious about the sport,” he said. “You”™ll never see one go out on the river without a life jacket or helmet. And they always have top-of-the-line equipment. I”™d like to see this section of the Delaware become an Olympic-grade whitewater area. What a boost it would be for this city and the entire region.”
The Tri-State Chamber of Commerce  recently hosted the mayor of Cascade, Idaho, which just put a whitewater park in its community for $750,000. “Dick Carter”™s city has a population of 1,000 people. Kelly”™s Whitewater Park had 25,000 visitors the first 10 weeks after opening  and brought $1.5 million in revenue in that time. Think of that happening here. With these 40 acres,” Potter said, “the possibilities are endless.”
Matt Vicchiariello, new owner of Raymond”™s Deli on Main Street and lifelong resident, couldn”™t agree more. “This is the first business I”™ve ever owned ”“ we opened just six weeks ago ”“ and I want it to be a success. A whitewater park would be great for our community. We”™d see people stopping and spending time here rather than just passing through.”