PHOTO COURTESY OF CLEVELAND METROPARKS
Cleveland Metroparks, in collaboration with the city, Port of Cleveland, Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Department of Natural Resources, has taken on the challenge of reimagining the East Side lakefront. A new community-focused planning project called CHEERS (Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Study) seeks to embrace the lake for future generations, while also protecting critical infrastructure along the shore and preventing future damage from unpredictable waves.
The year-long study, which will cost $251,0000, includes an initial vision to create 80 acres of parkland between East 55th Street Marina and Gordon Park, incorporating tranquil coves, wetlands and even a 36-acre isle offshore to shelter the shoreline that pedestrians can access by a bridge and trails, reports Cleveland.com.
The project is expected to take 15 to 25 years, and the goal would be to thicken sections of shoreline along Interstate 90, while creating two new coves, wetlands, hills, lawns and trails that the public can access and enjoy. An additional 18-month planning process for the project is dependent on grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation but could start as early as 2022.
To learn more about CHEERS, visit clevelandmetroparks.com.
