CLEVELAND — As work continues on the stabilization of Irishtown Bend, planners have unveiled concept design renderings of the portion of the park that will pay homage to the original settlers of the Cleveland neighborhood.
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.
But planners say Irishtown Bend Park will also "embrace its Irish heritage" in providing "a unique park experience for visitors of all ages."
“Irishtown Bend Park will provide an opportunity to tell the story of Cleveland’s history, specifically how immigrants and industry came together to build the city,” said Greg Peckham, Executive Director of LAND studio, one of the organizations involved in the project. “We are tracing the origins of the neighborhood back to the 1850s, thoughtfully and respectfully, with the help of nearly a dozen individuals who formed an Irish Heritage Committee."
So what will you see at the Irish Heritage portion of the park? Planners say five acres of the park will be physically marked as the Irishtown Bend Archaeological District, containing some of the following experiences for visitors:
Neighborhood doors with original addresses: 100-plus sculptural front doors, engraved with the original door numbers of the homes to honor some of the first inhabitants of Irishtown Bend, including Irish immigrant coal dock workers, Hungarian immigrants, and African American families. Planners say audio stories and historical images etched in steel or glass may be available to help tell the stories of the first inhabitants.
Coal Dock Engine Station: Foundations from a former coal dock hoisting rig will be preserved. Also, a former hoisting engine will be converted into a bird blind.
A look at the Irishtown Bend original street grid: In order to experience how foot traffic flowed through the neighborhood, planners say "unique structures will highlight the original street grid" — including Franklin Avenue, Franklin Alley, and Riverbed Road — indicating where the railroad traversed the bend.
PHOTOS: Proposed Irish heritage sites at Irishtown Bend Park in Cleveland
So what is the timeline for all of the work to be completed?
“Anyone who has driven down West 25th Street recently can see the amazing progress that has been made by the Port of Cleveland and the hillside stabilization process,” said Peckham. “The removal of excess dirt is nearly complete, and the hillside stabilization is on track to be completed by fall 2025. That’s when the magic truly happens; we can then begin construction of Irishtown Bend Park.”
Construction of Irishtown Bend Park is expected to take approximately two years, meaning it could open in 2027. Planners say that to date, $19 million of the park's $45 million goal has been secured through government and philanthropic sources. If you would like to learn more about supporting the park, click here.
Also, the Irish Heritage Committee is collecting stories of former residents, and their ancestors, of the hillside. If you or your family has a tie to the original Irishtown Bend neighborhood, you can submit your family’s history here.