A statue in part of Sioux City's riverfront development is based on the picture.

Like many faded industrial cities along the Hudson, the city has worked hard in recent years to promote riverfront development and beautification.

There, as in Vicksburg, he said, the campaign emphasized riverfront development and rarely mentioned riverboat gambling.

The buildings in the Civic Center district were built along the river as part of the plans for riverfront development.

So he made riverfront development a campaign promise that helped bring him into office 10 months ago.

Others were drawn by the developer's reputation or word of the new riverfront development.

Mr. Willis had plans, big plans: a $50 million riverfront development to include a marina, a large cinema, a 90-room hotel, shops and much more.

Mr. Drasheff said that while the city's master plan was "not specific on riverfront development," a consensus had been reached on the southern portion.

It envisions a future riverfront development to include restaurants, retail stores, condominiums and greenspace.

Private companies and foundations together with the city, state, and federal government have contributed several hundred million dollars toward the riverfront development.