Economic opportunities bubble up along the Oklahoma River

That visitor, Curtis Jordan, might not be a household name in Oklahoma City, but as the former Princeton University head rowing team coach, Knopp — director of the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation — instantly recognized him as a legend in the sport.

"Some of his Princeton athletes have been asked to be a part of the high-performance center here, and he just wanted to check this all out," Knopp said. "I gave him a tour, and he was very impressed by what he saw."

Jordan is just one of tens of thousands of visitors to the river this year — a waterway that was a mere ditch and an embarrassment to the city a dozen years ago. Now the boathouse foundation, joined by Chesapeake Energy Corp., Devon Energy Corp. and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber are preparing to launch a study on the river's economic impact and its future potential.

The proposed study will put a number on how many visitors are being drawn to the river annually to participate in and view various competitions on the water and along the shoreline. Knopp estimates that between rowing regattas, drag boat races, bicycle and running marathons and the holiday boat parade that the number easily exceeds 100,000 a year.

Public and private investment to date is set to exceed $200 million. The investment began with the MAPS project approved by voters in 1993. The city spent $54 million building dams, trails, parking lots and landings along a seven-mile stretch of the river between Meridian Avenue and Interstate 35.

A $250,000 log cabin boathouse Knopp envisioned was transformed into the award-winning landmark Chesapeake Energy Boathouse, which in turn has inspired the creation of a Boathouse Row where construction is under way on a Chesapeake Finish-Line Tower and wrapping up on a Devon Oklahoma City University boathouse.

At least two more boathouses are planned for the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma.