Consultant presents "View Forward" plan urging waterfront cleanup, TIF and a dedicated economic development lead for Riverview

Luke Bynes, the presenter of the city’s economic strategy, told the Riverview City Council that the city has a narrow window of opportunity to convert underused parcels into housing, recreation and taxable development.

Bynes summarized findings from a data review, stakeholder interviews and steering-committee meetings and said the plan—called View Forward—lays out a set of actionable steps including opening the waterfront (with specific attention to the Arkema property), pursuing a land bank and special-assessment financing on contaminated parcels, using tax-increment financing (TIF) for Fourth Street improvements, and hiring a dedicated economic-development director.

Why it matters: The recommendations are intended to convert long-standing liabilities and underused assets—waterfront contamination, an aging landfill and an underperforming commercial corridor—into new residential and recreational uses that would generate tax revenue and infrastructure funds.

Bynes framed the plan around a SWOT (strengths,…