Great Parks to receive $8M for Oasis Trail project

Great Parks will receive the largest funding award in its history, $8 million from the OKI Regional Council of Governments for phase one construction of the Oasis Trail.

The trail will be a 4.75-mile paved, shared-use path from Sawyer Point to Lunken Airport, connecting downtown Cincinnati to the 78-mile Little Miami Scenic Trail. The path will also extend Ohio River Trail west beyond its current end point at Wilmer Avenue.

The total estimated cost for all phases of this project is over $16 million. Great Parks is currently focused on designing and engineering the trail, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

As the semi-governmental planning organization overseeing federal transportation funds for the Cincinnati region, OKI played a key role in making this project possible. Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks, expressed gratitude to OKI leadership and other project partners, including the City of Cincinnati and the Metro transit agency, for their support.

“Building more trails is the top priority the public established for us in development of our Comprehensive Master Plan,” said Todd Palmeter, Great Parks CEO. “(W)e are grateful for the backing from OKI … to help us add critical trail expansions and connections for our community.”