A Case for a Cleveland Lakefront Park Conservancy
The Cleveland Lakefront park system is comprised of over 450 acres of parkland providing a variety of recreational opportunities for the adjacent neighborhoods, downtown employees, weekend regional visitors and out of town tourists. However, the parks are not at the capacity on a number of fronts, due to existing budget decreases and the lack of a comprehensive management strategy to leverage the lakefront parks as part of the economic future of the city.
The mission of a public-private partnership with a newly formed park conservancy would be to provide an organizational structure to bring private support for the stewardship and enhancement of the Cleveland Lakefront Park system as a premier urban waterfront park, ‘central park’ to the City.
An initial assessment of the Lakefront Parks identifies six key areas that could be bolstered with a strategy for its future success and rejuvenation. Further study would confirm these findings and develop an action plan for each one and others that surface. Recognizing that none of these areas are isolated to the others, the study would require an integrated process to inform all aspects of advancing a Lakefront Park strategy.
Future Management
The 50 year lease between the City of Cleveland and the State of Ohio, Department of Natural Resources expires in 2024. While it may appear that this provides ample time to worry about future management of the parks, the City’s future can not afford to wait on enhancing the opportunities for its lakefront if it is to stay competitive with top tier or even second tier cities. The thoughts of many include bringing the Cleveland Metroparks to the forefront as park manager. This study offers the opportunity to examine the variety of entities, including the role of a park conservancy, to advance the discussion of the strengths and challenges of existing organizations and the role of a park conservancy to facilitate and institute partnerships for the future of the Lakefront Parks.
Capital Improvements
Signature projects within or adjacent to the City’s lakefront parks have floundered over the past twenty years, due to the inability of a concerted effort to raise the capital funding to implement these projects and a lack of project management leadership. These include the restoration of the Coast Guard Station, the Euclid Beach Carousel and recently, the Euclid Beach pier. These projects alone require an estimated $20 million of funding for their implementation and additional funding for their operation and maintenance. In addition, although not specifically within the Lakefront parks, the relocation of the Huletts, pose another unfinished endeavor for funding. These signature projects can begin to transform the lakefront parks landscape and their use. Park Conservancies throughout the country have fulfilled this objective to raise private philanthropic support and garner public funding to implement these essential elements for their respective parks.
Ecological Restoration/Natural Resource Management
The BLUE project and the Waterfront District plan identified key opportunities to restore the ecological functions. Some Park Conservancies have focused on developing restoration strategies, including their management at a landscape level to enhance the ecological function of the urban parklands. The Cleveland Lakefront currently is operates under a basic maintenance approach. Examining maintenance and sustainable natural resource management practices and future operating costs, poses an opportunity for a “triple bottom line” approach for the Lakefront Parks.
Implementation of City’s Lakefront Plan
The Waterfront Plan that the City and various partners directed in 2004 was an ambitious vision which engaged thousands of people across the city to participate in the process. While elements may have changed, a park conservancy can carry the plan’s blueprint towards a strategy for implementation. Park Conservancies have been successful in both developing plans and implementing plans to fully realize the impact of these visions. A Cleveland Park Conservancy can work with various partners to identify short term and long term implementation strategies of the Lakefront Plan.
Maintenance Endowment (infrastructure support)
One of the greatest basic needs for the Cleveland Lakefront Parks is to provide support to the current maintenance and infrastructure needs for the park. Operational plan priorities should be identified by the City and state that private support can help offset the current budget issues, the parks face. Park conservancies have assisted in bridging the gap in resources to provide upkeep and basic services to the parks. Examining an effective approach to bring resources to the maintenance of the Parks was identified by numerous community stakeholders in initial discussions on this work.
Marketing/Outreach and Program Expansion
The Lakefront Parks are limited on the programming and activities offered to the residents of nearby neighborhoods and visitors to the City. The Cleveland Lakefront Park provides an opportunity to become one of the premier go-to locations for events for the City. The marketing and program expansion should include awareness of the current landscape of the Parks, identifying program and event opportunities, and developing partnerships with existing organizations to leverage the park’s assets to a greater capacity. As one community leader suggested, there should be a ribbon cutting every few months along the Lakefront to show progress and gain public and private support for future investments.
CONTENTS:
The Cleveland Lakefront’s Parks
History of Cleveland’s Lakefront
A New Approach To Our City’s Front Door: A Public-Private Partnership
A Case for a Cleveland Lakefront Park Conservancy
Key Staff / Recommended Letters of Support
Cleveland Waterfront Coalition