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City of Cleveland to hold 'community visioning workshops' for proposed land bridge

Residents are being asked to weigh in on how the lakefront and surrounding area can be made into 'a welcoming place for all.'

CLEVELAND — As lawmakers in Ohio consider allocating $62 million toward a land bridge in Cleveland, the city is moving forward to get more community feedback on the proposed project. 

On Friday, the city of Cleveland announced it will be holding three "community visioning workshops" in early May. Residents are being asked to weigh in on how the lakefront and surrounding area can be made into "a welcoming place for all." 

Those who participate will be asked about what they believe will create a sense of belonging, along with what they want to experience along the shores of Lake Erie. 

The land bridge proposal, organized by Haslam Sports Group and first revealed in May 2021, calls for a park-like land bridge over state Route 2 and the railroad tracks. The hope is to link the lakefront area around Cleveland Browns Stadium, Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the rest of downtown, specifically to the mall atop the Huntington Convention Center.

Besides the land bridge connector, the renderings also reveal development all along the water, with buildings, plazas, terraces, a playground and more.

Credit: Haslam Sports Group
Proposed land bridge that would link downtown Cleveland to the lakefront.

Here are the days, times, and locations for the three workshops:

  • May 6th, 2023, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m., Pivot Center - Inlet Dance Theatre on W. 25th Street
  • May 9th, 2023, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., EJ Kovacic Recreation Center on Saint Clair Avenue
  • May 11th, 2023, 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., via Zoom (register for meeting link here)

The city will provide childcare, children's activities, and refreshments at the in-person workshops. Pre-registration is requested for the meetings. Click here for more. 

Similar workshops were held last fall, with residents being asked to consider four possible options for a land bridge: 

  • No land bridge at all
  • Build land bridge over the existing Shoreway
  • Build land bridge, while the Shoreway becomes a boulevard
  • Build land bridge and remove the Shoreway entirely

Now, the city appears ready to take another step forward.

"The North Coast Connector and Master Plan signal our commitment to a city that is welcoming, accessible and thriving for all residents,” said Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb in a statement. “By uniting the community's diverse voices in shaping the waterfront's future, we will not only enhance the downtown lakefront area but will also create shared assets that meet the needs of Clevelanders for generations to come.”

This week, the Ohio House passed its budget for 2024-25, which includes allocating $62 million for what it referred to as the Cleveland Municipal Land Bridge project. The budget is now being reviewed by the Ohio Senate.

Meanwhile, the city of Cleveland has also retained a consulting firm to work on an economic study of Burke Lakefront Airport. The analysis will include looking at the potential impact of closing the 76-year-old downtown airport and redeveloping its 445 acres.

The future of Cleveland Browns Stadium has also been addressed by both Bibb as well as Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam in recent weeks. 

"Cleveland would benefit tremendously from the development of the waterfront," Jimmy Haslam told reporters at last month's NFL Owners Meetings. "Having the stadium down there seems to be in everybody's best interest. So we're committed to redoing the stadium. In all likelihood, it's not going to have a dome, but it'll be a substantial remodel of the existing facility and we're probably 3, 4, 5 years away from that happening."

In his State of the City address last week, Bibb was asked if he supported a renovation of the existing stadium or the construction of a new stadium. He was also asked if the city planned to contribute any money toward a stadium project.

"My vision right now is making sure we finally see real inclusive development on the lakefront. While we begin early conversations with the Haslams about the stadium, we want to be creative with how we address this issue because I'm no longer going to risk general revenue fund dollars for maintenance of a privately-owned football franchise," Bibb stated. 

"We've got to be creative. We've got to think differently about financing. And we have to think differently about how this fits into a larger piece of making us have one of the best lakefronts in the world. That's my vision to get done as mayor."

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