CLEVELAND — The Office of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced Wednesday on their website that the City Planning Commission has begun the search for a consultant team to "create a world-class, community-based master plan for the North Coast Lakefront."
According to the announcement, the city is looking for a proposal for lakefront property with an emphasis on people-oriented design that will last for generations.
“Cleveland is a lakefront city, yet for too long we have turned our back on this incredible resource,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “Our waterfronts have symbolized division instead of shared assets for all Clevelanders. My vision is to provide access to all 14 miles of Cleveland’s Lakefront with the guiding principles of racial equity, economic opportunity, and climate resiliency.”
Some Clevelanders said they enjoy the developments already along the lakefront.
“This is one of my favorite places to be, down here in the city, overlooking the skyline and seeing the water and everything like that, the sunsets down here are great,” said Dominic Tremaglio.
Others said the lakefront is highly underutilized.
“I think that our waterfront is probably our best asset, I think that it is the beauty of Cleveland and I really am sad that we don't do more here,” Julie Andrews said.
Another key requirement for proposals is "visible and intensive community input". The Mayor's office stressed the importance for the lakefront to be a source of pride and enjoyment for residents and accessible for all ages and abilities.
“The alignment of these planning efforts and the cross collaboration among stakeholders is very much by design,” said City of Cleveland Planning Director Joyce Pan Huang. “We are setting ourselves up for success through thoughtful integration so that this plan—unlike many that came before it—can be funded and implemented with sustained momentum.”
Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on October 17, 2022 at the latest. The process upon choosing a final proposal will take approximately 12 months according to the announcement with the finalized proposal being a "tangible, detailed and implementable plan" adopted by the Cleveland Planning Commission.
That plan will serve as the source to seek funding and become a blueprint for future development.
You can visit their website to learn more on how to submit a proposal.
Additional Coverage of Lakefront Redevelopment on WKYC.com: