Photos for Newport Southbank Bridge Co., courtesy of Keegan Kruse.

Expressing appreciation for their efforts to promote economic development in Northern Kentucky’s river cities, Southbank Partners and the Newport Southbank Bridge Co. held a party for Northern Kentucky business and political leaders on the Purple People Bridge Sunday night, Sept. 3, during the annual Cincinnati Labor Day weekend fireworks show.

 
Approximately 500 attended the “Boom on the Bridge” party on the south ramp and first section of the bridge in Newport to celebrate the end of summer and to watch the Western Southern/WEBN Fireworks on the Ohio River. Southbank Partners is a nonprofit community and economic development organization for the six cities along the Ohio River: Covington, Newport, Fort Thomas, Dayton, Bellevue, and Ludlow. The Newport Southbank Bridge Co. is the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Purple People Bridge and oversees its maintenance.
 
The two organizations are active in the economic development efforts in Northern Kentucky’s river cities. The Purple People Bridge is the main pedestrian link between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati and Southbank Partners’ signature project is Riverfront Commons, an 11.5-mile walking, running, and biking trail that links all six river cities. Residential, commercial, and office developments have cropped up around these two projects in recent years and future developments are planned near them.
 
“We decided to throw a party for our friends in the business and government community who have worked so hard and continue to work hard to bring economic development to our region,” said Jack Moreland, president of Southbank Partners. “The Southbank of the Ohio River is better because of the work of these individuals and this was our way to say thanks for a job well done.”