In my last column, I raised concerns about the expanding role of the Northern Kentucky Port Authority and whether it is moving beyond what was originally intended. This is commonly known as “mission creep”.
But the column raises a fair question:
If not this, then what should the NKPA, the Northern Kentucky Port Authority, be doing?
If port authorities shouldn’t be acting as developers, shaping private markets, and sidestepping local processes, then what should they be doing? We might look to the other port authorities in Kentucky.
There are seven active port authorities and two in development stages according to the KYTC website. The KYTC is the state agency for oversight.
Or, we might look for the answer in Kentucky law.
Under KRS Chapter 65, port authorities are empowered to “establish, maintain, and operate riverport and riverport facilities” and to “promote the development of river commerce and related transportation.”
They are also intended to coordinate multi-modal connections — river, rail, and road.
In plain terms, they were created to move goods and people.
Not to replace local city or county governments. Not to function as private developers. And not to pick winners and losers in the real estate market.
So let’s take that statutory mission seriously and ask a different question:
What could the Northern Kentucky Port Authority be doing right now that actually aligns with that purpose?
Here are a few ideas:
First, the former Interlake Steel/Newport Steel/IPSCO site along the Licking River. Roughly 200 acres. Rail access. River access. Located in the heart of Northern Kentucky. If there were ever a site that fits the definition of a riverport opportunity, this is it.
This is exactly the kind of property a port authority should be evaluating, assembling, and positioning for industrial and logistics use. With the right vision, it could support barge traffic, rail connectivity, and job creation tied directly to the movement of goods.
Instead of asking, “What deal can we finance next?”
The better question is, “Why aren’t we developing a real port?”
Second, the Purple People Bridge.
This is more than a pedestrian amenity. It is a direct transportation link between Ohio and Kentucky across a navigable river.
Infrastructure like this, that crosses jurisdictions and connects the region, is precisely where a port authority can add value. Long-term stewardship, capital planning, and coordination across state lines are not easy for any one city to manage alone.
That’s what regional entities are supposed to do.
Third, a river-based transportation system.
We have a river running through the center of our region and, for the most part, we treat it like scenery.
Other cities don’t.
From Brisbane’s RiverCats to water taxi systems across the United States, communities are using their waterways to move people — to work, to events, and between neighborhoods.
Why not here?
A coordinated system connecting Newport, Covington, Cincinnati, and beyond (consider it extending to New Richomnd to the east and Aurora to the west) would activate the river while providing a real transportation option. It would also require exactly the kind of multi-jurisdictional coordination and long-term infrastructure thinking that port authorities were created to handle.
There are other opportunities as well—freight coordination, riverfront infrastructure, and partnerships tied to transportation rather than real estate speculation.
The point is not that there is only one path forward.
The point is that these ideas would fulfill the intended mission established in Kentucky Law.
Northern Kentucky does not lack development expertise. Our cities, counties, and private sector are already doing that work—and they are accountable through established local processes.
What we lack is a focused, regional approach to leveraging the river and our transportation assets in a meaningful way.
That’s where a port authority can add real value.
So rather than stretching the definition of what a port authority is, maybe it’s time to return to what it was meant to be.
A tool. A connector. An infrastructure builder.
Not a developer.
If we do that, we won’t have to debate whether these entities are overstepping. We’ll be too busy watching them do exactly what they were created to do.
The views expressed here do not reflect the views or opinions of the Northern Kentucky Tribune. They are solely the ideas of Ken Rechtin, who can be reached at kennethrechtin@gmail.com. All rights to “Another Voice” are retained by Ken Rechtin.