CLEVELAND — While stabilization work at Irishtown Bend continues, Cleveland Metroparks has received a substantial grant from the federal government which will aid in the future development of the park.
On Wednesday, the Department of the Interior announced the allocation of $10.8 million from the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program to Cleveland Metroparks for the Irishtown Bend Park project.
Irishtown Bend Park is one of three projects in Northeast Ohio to receive ORLP dollars.
In a release, Cleveland Metroparks says the ORLP funds "will support the construction of park features, including an amphitheater, overlook plazas, picnic areas, open space, play areas and a boardwalk, as well as necessary irrigation and landscaping components."
“We maintain a commitment of progress for the community and this substantial federal investment brings a shared vision held by many project partners to reality,” said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman in a statement.
According to the release, the ORLP funds are being matched by $10.8 million from LAND studio, which includes support from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, the state of Ohio, the George Gund Foundation and other project donors.
“The amount of organizations, government entities, that have come together to make this project happen really shows a testament of what those working together in Northeast Ohio can do,” Sean McDermott, the chief planning and design officer with Cleveland Metroparks, told 3News' Mitti Hicks.
The ambitious Irishtown Bend Park plan, first envisioned more than a decade ago, will transform a 23-acre green oasis hugging the Cuyahoga River adjacent to the Detroit-Superior Bridge, into one of the largest waterfront parks between New York and Chicago. The park and its riverfront trail will become the missing link that finally connects the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to Lake Erie.
The park, which will span the hillside below West 25th Street and above the Cuyahoga River in Ohio City, will one day be a community green space with areas for gathering, play, and exercise.
PHOTOS: New renderings of Irishtown Bend Park project released
The $65 million Irishtown Bend stabilization project by the Port of Cleveland is expected to be completed next year.
“The Port of Cleveland congratulates Cleveland Metroparks and the many partners on this milestone win for Cleveland and the region, which quite literally builds on the foundational work by our Port and the partners to stabilize Irishtown Bend,” added Port of Cleveland President & CEO Will Friedman in the statement. “Momentum is clearly building for park development in synchrony with the stabilization project which is well underway.”
Once the stabilization project is complete, construction of Irishtown Bend Park is expected to take approximately two years, meaning it could open by 2027.
“That means in 2027, you'll be able to ride your bike, walk, and rollerblade 101 miles of the Towpath Trail starting in Zoar, Ohio, all the way up to Lake Erie here at the historic Coast Guard station at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. Irishtown Bend is really the missing piece of that great, great journey up and down the Cuyahoga Valley," McDermott added.
OTHER ORLP GRANTS
In addition to the $10.8 million for Irishtown Bend Park, Cleveland Metroparks also received a grant of $2.95 million from ORLP to support its purchase of the Ontario Stone Corp. property along the Cuyahoga River.
"This funding is a significant step forward in acquiring the property that seeks to expand community access to waterfront green space. Cleveland Metroparks is in conversations with the property owner regarding the definitive purchase agreement and will continue to pursue additional funding sources towards the purchase," Cleveland Metroparks told 3News in an email.
Also, Cain Park in Cleveland Heights has received $390,000 in ORLP funds which will support the renovation of its outdoor arts and recreation services.
"We are exceedingly grateful to the National Parks Service and the Biden-Harris Administration for this support that will enhance quality of life, especially for our young people for years to come," Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren said in a statement.