Work has begun to transform Irishtown Bend along the Cuyahoga River into a new park that would be the last piece of the Lake Link trail, while ensuring boats can travel safely downstream.
Ohio City is one of the major neighborhoods in Cleveland. The demolition at the north end of West 25th Street is just the beginning of major improvements in progress.
“LAND Studio was able to acquire a $ 1.4 million grant from the State of Ohio. The Clean Ohio Grant. And we have used it to acquire the buildings and also demolish them. And level the top of the slope, ”explains Joel Wimbiscus. , Project Manager at LAND Studio.
And with the help of the Cleveland Metroparks and the Cleveland Port Authority, the entire area will be turned into green space.
“The park is a 17-acre park. Basically it will go from the curb on West 25th, to the riverbank, ”says Wimbiscus.
The park will become one of the main Metroparks spaces, with additional trails and a boardwalk along the riverbank. Most importantly, it will serve as the final piece of the Lake Link trail that connects Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Lake Erie shoreline.
“You’re going to have like five regional trails all coming here,” says Wimbiscus. “You can go down to the National Park from here, get to Edgewater and Lake Erie from here. It is a kind of Grand Central Station of trails in itself. “
But the project is not going to be easy. The property is sliding downstream and needs to be stabilized in a separate Port Authority project costing tens of millions of dollars.
According to Wimbiscus, the park cannot be built until the slope is stabilized. And the Port Authority is in the process of finalizing the engineering designs.
When all is said and done, Cleveland’s award-winning park system will have another gem to show off.
“We will do a lot of public participation. We want it to be a park space that unites all the different types of people where everyone feels welcome ”, adds Wimbiscus.
This is a multi-year project with a timeline that depends on how long it takes to repair the slope itself. That project is also important because if not repaired, a landslide could block part of the Cuyahoga River. That would be detrimental for companies that depend on cargo ships to get through.
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