We hope the last three days of comedy-related events in downtown Jamestown provide a glimpse into the future of downtown once the National Comedy Center opens.

Downtown business owners could get used to the foot traffic and loose wallets that the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival brings each year. The festival spreads the traffic throughout downtown by hosting events at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena, Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, Jamestown Gateway Train Station and the existing Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center. Unfortunately, that foot traffic stops when the festival ends. Imagine the boon to downtown if the National Comedy Center brings an additional 300 or so people into the city every day as has been forecast by AECOM in its feasibility study for the center.

How do we keep those 300 or so people each day?

Better activation of the Chadakoin River would be a good start.

The river and the adjacent area is conspicuously absent from the list of sites used for Lucyfest this year. Of course, it’s difficult to use Comedy Park with construction ongoing at the former BPU substation on the corner of Third and Washington street. Pedestrian bridges that will begin construction next year will both improve the look of the riverfront and make it easier to get to possible attractions on either side of the river. The Jamestown Riverwalk Illumination Project, which would light the underside of the Washington Street Bridge and other areas of the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk, would certainly make the area more inviting. It is a project that comes with a fairly low cost that we hope is looked upon favorably by the New York State Regional Economic Development Council.

Once the area is inviting to tourists, it is up to area groups to properly program the area. There must be some sort of water plan for the river – kayaking, paddleboats and a schedule of special events – that could keep people downtown.

The National Comedy Center is due to open next year. A usable and attractive Chadakoin River needs to open next year, too.