Ferry route could ease trip across state line

A proposed Ohio River ferry could bring more Indiana residents to Northern Kentucky shopping destinations and more Kentuckians to Rising Sun's riverboat casino. The year-round ferry would run from Ky. 18 in Boone County near McVille to a landing about a mile north of the Grand Victoria Casino. The boat would be able to hold about 10 to 12 cars, tour buses and even a tractor-trailer. Fares have not been set.

The $500,000 project is being proposed by the Rising Sun/Ohio County Port Authority and would be funded by Rising Sun, Ohio County and a foundation funded by the Grand Victoria Casino & Resort.

"We thought this would be a great idea, because we'd be real close to Florence and people could use it for shopping, doctors, hospitals and so on," said Gary Brett, president of the Port Authority. "There are a lot of people in Rising Sun who are employed over there. They would be thrilled to death for this to happen."

The ferry would cut the 45-minute-to-one-hour drive in half, said Brett. And it's a drive that's about to get longer because of construction on U.S. 50 and Ind. 56 in Lawrenceburg and Aurora. In addition to making it easier for Rising Sun's 2,400 residents to get to Northern Kentucky, the ferry also will make it easier for Northern Kentucky residents to get to Grand Victoria.

Turfway Park president Bob Elliston, who is among those pushing for legalized casinos in Kentucky, said he is "not at all surprised that Indiana is making it easier for Kentuckians to come to Indiana to gamble." Elliston is a board member of the Kentucky Equine Education Project, which is leading the effort for casinos at the states' racetracks. The group recently launched a campaign of billboards that screamed "Indiana Sucks" an eye-catching way of making its point that Kentuckians spend $600 million year at Indiana casinos.

Ed Sullivan, executive director of the Rising Sun Regional Foundation, which is funded by an agreement between the city and casino, said the group's initial inquiries were met with the same skepticism.

"This is truly just a legitimate effort by the local officials. The casino is there, which we all acknowledge, but it's not the driving force," Sullivan said.

The landing site in Indiana would be on East Bellview Road, about a mile north of the casino.

"Honestly, I don't think it's going to have a big influence on the casino overall," said Daryl Paddock, director of sales for Grand Victoria. The casino is by far the city's biggest employer and benefactor, and has driven much of the city's other development since it opened nine years ago.

Paddock added that there is an opportunity for tour bus operators who make up a good portion of the casino's business to take advantage of the ferry.

In addition to bypassing the traffic around Lawrenceburg - where the area's biggest casino, Argosy, is based - the ferry adds novelty to the trip on the tour buses.

The city of Rising Sun and Ohio County are each being asked to contribute $200,000. The governments are expected to vote next month. The foundation also has been asked to give $100,000.

In addition to the funding, the project would also need approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

On the Kentucky side, the landing site, which is proposed on Ky. 18 between McVille and Rabbit Hash, would have to be approved by Boone County Planning Commission. The site would need a change from an agriculture zone to recreation zone with a conditional-use permit, said Kevin Costello, executive director of the Boone County Planning Commission.

The landing site on the Kentucky sidealso could have a park and a boat ramp.

"We think that would really be a win-win," Sullivan said.