Covington Central Riverfront Strategic Master Plan

Covington, KY

Cooper Carry worked with the City of Covington to create a vision for a 21-acre riverfront property formerly occupied by an IRS processing facility, while also exploring additional uses such as hotels for the nearby Northern Kentucky Convention Center. The community engagement process was critical to the project and included a kick-off meeting, two neighborhood workshops, and civic dinners led by the community. The result was the development of the Covington Central Riverfront Strategic Master Plan. This provides positive physical and economic changes that would appeal to visitors and benefit residents.

In the concept presentation, we shared three design alternatives so participants could vote on their favorite plans or plan elements. The team received hundreds of comments, which were documented and considered for the final plan. Our team also shared ideas for temporary uses to immediately activate and energize the site before development began. The consultant team developed an implementation strategy that supports the vision framework and aligns with market projections.

The project culminated in a strategic vision plan based in market realities and a viable implementation strategy and conveyance plan provided to the U.S. General Services Administration, who oversaw the IRS property. Our team worked closely with city staff to balance their capabilities and the market realities with the community’s dreams of what could become of the area. The crux of the implementation plan was listening – to the community and to the team of experts assembled for the project – to create a master plan that has the teeth to be attractive to investors and taxpayers.