Defiance consultants present two riverfront concepts after yearlong public process

Nathan Daigle, a consultant with JPR and lead on the project, told the Defiance City Council that the parks and riverfront master plan process has produced two final concepts after nearly a year of outreach and four public surveys.

The presentation, introduced by Nikki Boronke, summarized Phase 1 and Phase 2 work — inventory, site visits, steering-committee meetings, public workshops and survey rounds — and focused on two competing concept packages for the riverfront and for 20 parks across the city. “Tonight we will go through kind of an overview of the project, where we've come today, and we'll also look at a couple of the concepts that have been developed for the riverfront,” Daigle said.

The nut graf: The consultants said the process produced broad public input — roughly 2,000 participants across events and surveys — and that the next step is to combine elements of both concepts into a final, implementable master plan with an associated partnering and operations framework that lists costs, responsible parties and permitting considerations.

Key elements presented included a proposed pedestrian connection across the Maumee River, Centennial Plaza at Clinton Street Bridge, boardwalks and trails, kayak launches and expanded event lawns. Concept 1 emphasizes a pedestrian landing in the fort grounds, a botanical garden in Pontiac, an event lawn and a smaller event center; Concept 2 shows a larger event center overlooking the confluence, marsh/naturalized areas in Kingsbury, additional boardwalks and options for boat docking downtown. The consultants said Concept 1 led Concept 2 in the closed survey by about 60% to 40%, but many respondents mixed features from both concepts in comments.

Council members asked for specifics about maintenance, operating costs and timing. Council member Hancock asked whether the implementation framework will include maintenance requirements; Sydney King, a consultant on the project, answered that “each park is then broken down by each task” and that the implementation section will list operational impacts such as manpower and ongoing cost for each action item. Council member Uresti said he favors seeing cost estimates before making judgments about priorities; Daigle confirmed the implementation package will provide budget estimates for each line item and an overall budget.

The consultants described Phase 3 as the period to merge preferred features into one final concept, produce 3-D renderings and create a partnering/implementation plan that identifies quick wins, capital projects and potential partners for funding or delivery. They also said they are considering flood risk and FEMA‑owned parcels in siting features and emphasized placing higher-investment items where they can better withstand periodic inundation.

The presentation named parks by site (Kingsbury, Bronson, Reservoir, Pontiac, Buckman, Holgate, Riverside and others) and highlighted frequently requested amenities from the surveys: improved connectivity, an event lawn, boat launches/docks, and an outdoor education or nature center. The consultants said some sites will keep current recreational fields while adding pathways, overlooks, shelters and program elements requested by respondents.

City staff and the steering committee will review the consultant team’s draft final report and the implementation framework; the consultants said they will return with a consolidated final concept and the full report for the council and the public.

The presentation closed with an invitation for questions and continued public feedback as the consultants finalize renderings and the implementation plan.