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Southbank Partners lays out Riverfront Commons phases, secures $100,000 grant for Saratoga Plaza
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Summary
Will Webber of Southbank Partners briefed commissioners on the multi‑city Riverfront Commons district, recent groundbreakings, a $100,000 Project for Public Spaces grant for Saratoga Plaza, project phases through 2029 and recent investments approaching $4 million across the region.
Will Webber, representing Southbank Partners, presented an updated strategy and project timeline for Riverfront Commons — a riverfront district spanning multiple river cities — at Newport’s special commission meeting on March 9. He described recent construction progress, including groundbreakings in Ludlow and Dayton, and said Southbank now covers nine cities in the regional partnership.
Webber highlighted a $100,000 grant from Project for Public Spaces to support improvements at Saratoga Plaza, calling it a unique award that required no local match and a rapid planning timetable. "We did not have to have a plan, no matching dollars," he said, describing the grant as an opportunity to fund a community‑driven plan within a year. He also described prototype investments in the port‑of‑entry business district and wayfinding work that total roughly $480,000 and cited recent capital contributions supporting Festival Park and Riverwalk phases.
Webber outlined Phase 6 (Purple People Bridge to Taylor Southgate through Festival Park) and Phase 7 (Taylor Southgate Bridge to the 4th Street Bridge through James Taylor Park), and discussed planned timelines for Newport Phase 8 (2027–2028) and Phase 9 (2028–2029). He noted a $315,000 USDOT RAISE award had included a 20 percent city match and that Southbank had pulled together multiple funding sources including private donor allocations and state and federal grants — total recent investments were reported as "just shy of $4,000,000." Webber cautioned that fiscal year 2024 numbers were inflated by reimbursable entries and clarified an accounting reimbursement that, when corrected, reduces an apparent $400,000 surplus to about $15,000.
Commissioners asked about expansion limits, prioritization between phases, and the timing and duration of upcoming work. Webber said Southbank is cautious about expansion and prioritizes common strategic fit among cities; he also said he expected ribbon‑cutting and public engagement to follow as phases are completed. No formal board action was required during the presentation.
