Public invited to provide ideas for redeveloping former Jeffboat site along Ohio River in Jeffersonville

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- The city of Jeffersonville has an 80-acre blank slate along the Ohio River. Now, developers want to know what the public would like to see there.

Jeffersonville's mayor said the development of the old Jeffboat site is one of the most talked about projects in the city, and he hopes a lot of people show up Monday to speak on it.

"I'm asked very frequently, 'What's going in there?' Well, it's a blank slate and we don't know," Mayor Mike Moore said. "But we want to hear what the public wants."

Since announcing redevelopment plans in September, OHM Advisors, which has an office in Jeffersonville, have been assessing the 80-acre site to determine what could be possible.

Now, advisors and landowner American Commercial Barge Line are ready to give an update to the community and let people share their ideas for the space in a public meeting.

"I want to see how big of a crowd we have," Moore said. "I want to hear the ideas and suggestions."

The meeting will be held at the Carriage House next to the Howard Steamboat Museum on East Market Street just outside downtown Jeffersonville.

The city, however, doesn't have the final say in what will go on the site. That's up to the American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL). But Moore is appreciative that the company is taking time to hear the community's ideas. He believes Monday night's open house-style meeting is the first of two public meetings planned.

"I do think a lot of the things that the public are going to say we'd like to see are going to take place back here," he said.

Moore has also expressed hopes for residential, commercial and green space to be included in the project, wanting the once-championed shipbuilding site to have a new purpose.

"We're not building barges anymore. So let's do something different with this 80 acres," he said. "Let's get some of the imagination going and creative ideas and let's be heard."

The public meeting on Monday, Jan. 23, will be held from 6-8 p.m.