Cleveland, Ohio-based Rock Ventures casino, scheduled for opening in 2013, has proposed pushing out the river bulkhead of the Cuyahoga River by about 29 feet, making it narrower in one location, to make room for a parking lot for the casino as a buffer zone between the casino complex and the river wall.
The proposed site is a major shipping lane for the steel, construction, and fuel industries, who are concerned about the possibility of narrowing a channel. According to the Lake Carriers' Association, traversing the river is already a challenge for ships as it is, and slimming down the width of the proposed portion of the Cuyahoga River would inevitably lead to complications for shippers.
Negotiations are in place, although there is no confirmation as to what direction officials are leaning toward.
However, because the channel was originally established by an act of Congress, only Congress can decide to make any modifications.