^Right.  On top of that, this is exactly what the Metroparks does..... managing park systems is the very purpose of the organization, whereas it is a very small component of the City's overall operation.

The positive changes at Edgewater are almost shocking. 

 

Still not reaching its potential, but at this rate there is nothing but optimism.

I was at Edgewater this weekend too, and it's a different world from when I was a kid and it was a fairly dirty beach with cloudy water. The water still isn't perfect...but it's better. And the facilities and grounds upkeep are excellent.

I went to the Thursday event with some friends of mine. I was really shocked at how crowded it was, I've never seen so many people at Edgewater since the park used to do the 4th of July fireworks.

 

That being said, I hope fireworks are eventually brought back to Edgewater. Maybe launch them from a barge on the lake so they don't have to close off an enormous portion of the park. I know some other cities use barges, but I'm not sure how it would affect water pollution.

 

On an unrelated note, I noticed the fishing pier has some abandoned caissons/pylons on the left and right side of it, like the pier was once cross or t-shaped. Anyone know when the pier was in that configuration? The caissons look relatively new.

Traffic was backed up even more this past Thursday. Almost all the way to the Lake shoreway entrance.

One of my employee's was there Thursday night and she said it was packed.  Lines for the food trucks were crazy.

Equillibrius - unfortunately, I don't think the fireworks will ever return to Edgewater.  It was a safety issue - the surrounding streets got so crowded that safety vehicles could not get in/out.  I used to live on Baltic Ave back when the fireworks were at Edgewater and the couple 4th of July's I experienced there were like nothing else I've ever seen...

Equillibrius - unfortunately, I don't think the fireworks will ever return to Edgewater.  It was a safety issue - the surrounding streets got so crowded that safety vehicles could not get in/out.  I used to live on Baltic Ave back when the fireworks were at Edgewater and the couple 4th of July's I experienced there were like nothing else I've ever seen...

 

I miss those days.  Lived over here for decades and it was a blast.

 

Downtown fireworks SUCKS.  Where can you park there?  It's an absolute PITA to get to E9th and find a spot.

 

 

I suppose parking bans on the surrounding streets could alleviate the congestion issues, but I imagine it would create more problems. It's a shame, though. I thought Edgewater was a great location for fireworks shows-- the beach, vantage points from almost anywhere in the park, etc.

 

Maybe things will change when the Shoreway Boulevard conversion gets going.

FYI- urbanohio secret. If you are going to Edgewater Live this summer, park up in battery park and walk down through the tunnel. Save yourself alot of time

The fireworks are launched from near Wendy Park. Edgewater and Wendy Park are always plenty crowded for the event.

FYI- urbanohio secret. If you are going to Edgewater Live this summer, park up in battery park and walk down through the tunnel. Save yourself alot of time

 

Last year on 4th of July, Battery Park was jammed full without a single spot to be found by 6pm.  Everyone was just circling, looking.  I expect it to be even worse with all the tunnel construction this year

What amazes me most, are the added volumes of people coming to the park during non special events. I took a walk last Sunday afternoon in Edgewater and couldn't believe the crowds. It wasn't even hot beach weather (72 and breezy) but the upper parking lots were filled to capacity with 100s of cars making their own spots wherever they could. The beach was mobbed and the lower lots near capacity as well. In prior years you would have never seen crowds like that in Edgewater for a nondescript Sunday with less than ideal swimming conditions.

 

A few years ago I was even suggesting that they remove a ton of parking from Edgewater as it never filled up and was a waste of prime green park space. Now it seems that the lack of parking at Edgewater may become a problem soon. It's hard to believe the turn around the park has had in just 1 year.

 

Do the Metroparks charge for parking anywhere in their park system? I'm sure a nominal charge at Edgewater would cause quite a stir, but it could cause more carpooling/walking alleviating some parking issues and also raise some cash to fund programming in the park.

I don't think the Metroparks charges for parking in any of their reservations. It's not their nature (no pun intended :)) to do so and like you said, it wouldn't resonate too well with the public. If they did, maybe have meters in the spaces closer to key areas (namely the beach and the pier) and leave spaces further out free.

 

With all that being said, the fact that the park has so many visitors now shows that it has come a long way in the year since the Metroparks took over operations. Edgewater has the potential to be one of Cleveland's premier parks again, instead of a neglected afterthought.

Last year on 4th of July, Battery Park was jammed full without a single spot to be found by 6pm.  Everyone was just circling, looking.  I expect it to be even worse with all the tunnel construction this year

 

I was surprised to see a number of streets in Battery Park are closed for the construction. That's OK. I can walk to Edgewater from the Gold Coast in about 20-30 minutes anyway. And I can see fireworks shows from about 10 different cities from my building's roof. Looks like Baghdad in the first Gulf War! :)

What amazes me most, are the added volumes of people coming to the park during non special events. I took a walk last Sunday afternoon in Edgewater and couldn't believe the crowds. It wasn't even hot beach weather (72 and breezy) but the upper parking lots were filled to capacity with 100s of cars making their own spots wherever they could. The beach was mobbed and the lower lots near capacity as well. In prior years you would have never seen crowds like that in Edgewater for a nondescript Sunday with less than ideal swimming conditions.

 

A few years ago I was even suggesting that they remove a ton of parking from Edgewater as it never filled up and was a waste of prime green park space. Now it seems that the lack of parking at Edgewater may become a problem soon. It's hard to believe the turn around the park has had in just 1 year.

 

Do the Metroparks charge for parking anywhere in their park system? I'm sure a nominal charge at Edgewater would cause quite a stir, but it could cause more carpooling/walking alleviating some parking issues and also raise some cash to fund programming in the park.

Hopefully, this will make (force) people to arrive at the park on foot, bike, skateboard, public transportation, etc.  Seems as though the new ownership is having a regional affect on draw, not just a neighborhood affect.  This sounds like a win-win!

Are you even allowed on the West Side, MTS? Except for your transit visa to travel the Red Line to/from Hopkins, of course. Like going from West Germany, through East Germany on the train to West Berlin....

Are you even allowed on the West Side, MTS? Except for your transit visa to travel the Red Line to/from Hopkins, of course. Like going from West Germany, through East Germany on the train to West Berlin....

 

I do try to bring some culture and class to you people!

Hmmm

 

CLEVELAND METROPARKS TO HOST PUBLIC MEETINGS ON FUTURE OF LAKEFRONT PARKS

Posted: November 21, 2014

 

Cleveland Metroparks took over management of Cleveland Lakefront Parks in June, 2013.  The Park District is working on a multi-year strategic plan for the future of the lakefront parks and is enlisting input from the community at a series of public meetings scheduled for the first week in December.

 

The public is invited to attend any of the scheduled meetings to provide input on the proposed improvement projects, including plans for a new beach house at Edgewater Park, renovations to the pier at Euclid Beach Park and the proposed new pedestrian bridge over Euclid Creek linking Villa Angela and Wildwood parks.  Additionally, attendees will have access to the latest Cleveland Metroparks updates and are encouraged to provide feedback on their recent visitor experiences at the lakefront parks.

 

All three of the public meetings are open house style from 5-7 p.m., with special presentations at 5:15 and 6 p.m. The first meeting is Tuesday, December 2 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, in the gymnasium, 1355 W. 70th St., Cleveland, followed by Wednesday, December 3 at Cleveland Metroparks Lakefront Management Center, 8701 Lakeshore Blvd. NE, Cleveland, and then Thursday, December 4 at the Collinwood Recreation Center, 16300 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland.

 

For more information, visit clevelandmetroparks.com or call (216) 635-3200.

 

 

http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/PressReleases/CLEVELAND-METROPARKS-TO-HOST-PUBLIC-MEETINGS-ON-FU-1825.aspx

RFQ/CM: Edgewater Beach Bath House

Valuation: $4,000,000 Owner Type: Public

Location: OH (Cuyahoga)  Dodge Report 

 

Description: Development of a new bath house to be located at Edgewater Beach in the Lakefront Reservation, Cleveland OH. The Bath House shall be the ?hub? of activity for the Edgewater Beach portion of Edgewater Park. The Bath House shall incorporate several complimentary uses, including but not limited to event space,open air and reservable picnic space, sundry and retail sales, recreational equipment rental, educational and interpretive space, changing stations, restrooms, food and beverage operations, entertainment spaces, viewing decks and other recreational uses.The design of the Bath House shall incorporate LEED design principles and embrace the Cleveland Metroparks' Green Infrastructure and Sustainability guiding principles recognized in the Cleveland Metroparks 2020 Emerald Necklace Centennial Plan. Additionally, the design shall recognize the historic nature of the site, the adjacent residential, commercial, and industrial neighborhood, and the multiple modes of transportation that allow park users to utilize the park and Bath House. Plazas,patios, hardscapes, softscapes, and sustainable stormwater management practices shall beincorporated.<

I would really like to see the #55 bus (now called the CSU Transitway) to make a stop at the bottom of the Edgewater ramps to not only serve Edgewater Park but also the Battery Park neighborhood. These buses also need to cross the Detroit-Superior bridge to make stops at the Detroit-West 25th intersection so that more of Cleveland can access Edgewater Park and so that residents of the Edgewater neighborhood and Lakewood can more quickly reach Ohio City, Tremont, Clark-Metro, Old Brooklyn and Parma.

For comparison, here is the old bathhouse, built in 1914...

Does any of the infrastructure for this building still exist? Or is it all pretty much gone? I'd love to know where exactly it stood (the beach has grown 50 feet or so northward in the past hundred years, so the footprint is nowhere near the water as it was in the photo). It was an interesting building, it reminds me of something that would be in Mexico, or SoCal at the very least.  :-)

So with this project to build a new bathhouse I wonder to what extent they are looking at the original? The RFQ does mention the historical context of the site. It would probably be outrageously expensive to build something to the same scale but a smaller version would be cool...

Here's the Leonard Krieger Canalway Center in Cuyahoga Hts. If you've never been there, it's very well done.

 

http://standardcontracting.com/2010/05/canalway-center/

 

IMHO Edgewater is deserving of something larger.  Redevelopment at the beach poses a unique opportunity. We should make a bold statement about how this region and its people are reconnecting with Lake Erie. A multi-use structure along the lines of the original bathhouse is wholly appropriate for this excellent location.

Ditto for the restaurant site next to the new skate park in the Flats. They did a nice job with that.

^ Merwin's Wharf? I would love to see a similar restaurant built somewhere close to the fishing pier, or even incorporated into it, with a nice open air dining patio facing the lake.

http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Arts+%26+Entertainment&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=BF56396AF3BB46178C94754D6C599CDD

 

A little snip it on the original bath house..I had no idea it ever existed until I just saw it on here. A link to another pic below. It looks like it stood where the main beach and bike path are now at the bottom of the bluff.

 

http://cplorg.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4014coll18/id/144/rec/5

Ha, a "vandals' playhouse" - sounds like an 80's band.

Reminder the meetings start tonight 5-7. Presentations at 5:15 and 6:00

 

 

 

    Tuesday, December 2nd

    Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Gymnasium)

    1355 West 70th Street, Cleveland

 

    Wednesday, December 3rd

    Cleveland Metroparks Lakefront Management Center

    8701 Lakeshore Blvd. NE, Cleveland

 

    Thursday, December 4th

    Collinwood Recreation Center

    16300 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland

 

PUBLIC MEETINGS FROM 5:00 -7:00 PM EACH EVENING WITH PRESENTATIONS AT 5:15 PM AND 6:00 PM

http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Arts+%26+Entertainment&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=BF56396AF3BB46178C94754D6C599CDD

 

A little snip it on the original bath house..I had no idea it ever existed until I just saw it on here. A link to another pic below. It looks like it stood where the main beach and bike path are now at the bottom of the bluff.

 

http://cplorg.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4014coll18/id/144/rec/5

 

Does anyone know an eccentric billionaire who would be willing to fund the construction of an exact replica of the bath house? ;)

One thing I've wondered about is why amusement/pleasure piers never really caught on in the Great Lakes as they have on the coasts and other parts of the world. Edgewater would have been a great spot for one, especially if it looked like my favorite, the South Parade Pier in Portsmouth, England:

 

http://southparadepier.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/south-parade-pier-1950s.jpg

 

Edit: On the other hand, if built in the early 20th century it probably would have suffered the same fate as the bath house.

http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Arts+%26+Entertainment&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=BF56396AF3BB46178C94754D6C599CDD

 

A little snip it on the original bath house..I had no idea it ever existed until I just saw it on here. A link to another pic below. It looks like it stood where the main beach and bike path are now at the bottom of the bluff.

 

http://cplorg.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4014coll18/id/144/rec/5

 

Does anyone know an eccentric billionaire who would be willing to fund the construction of an exact replica of the bath house? ;)

 

Ha! Playhouse Square just got another 10 million. There's money out there, that's for sure.

^^And if this was England the Edgewater bath house would still be standing.

^^And if this was England the Edgewater bath house would still be standing.

Most likely repurposed into a multi-use building with arcades, concessions, etc.  Unfortunately, Cleveland (well, the USA in general) was never quite as progressive when it came to structures that seemingly were of no more use. After the end of WWII the majority of homes had indoor plumbing, rendering bath houses like Edgewater's obsolete. The only thing most people wanted to see in that building was a wrecking ball. :(

^^And if this was England the Edgewater bath house would still be standing.

Most likely repurposed into a multi-use building with arcades, concessions, etc.  Unfortunately, Cleveland (well, the USA in general) was never quite as progressive when it came to structures that seemingly were of no more use. After the end of WWII the majority of homes had indoor plumbing, rendering bath houses like Edgewater's obsolete. The only thing most people wanted to see in that building was a wrecking ball. :(

 

In another 1,000 years or so, we'll have the same reverence of historic structures! I was always struck by the number of building renovations in England vs. the amount of new-construction.

 

The question is, will this new building be built to last? Doubtful, considering how we build structures today.

In another 1,000 years or so, we'll have the same reverence of historic structures! I was always struck by the number of building renovations in England vs. the amount of new-construction.

 

The question is, will this new building be built to last? Doubtful, considering how we build structures today.

 

Rest assured the new building design is in good hands.

 

Rest assured the new building design is in good hands.

 

I was commenting moreso on the materials and quality of construction. Design is something else.

 

Rest assured the new building design is in good hands.

 

I was commenting moreso on the materials and quality of construction. Design is something else.

 

Not contradicting you in any way - I agree with you. Just adding to the conversation.

metroparks plans $14m of improvements to lakefront parks, including edgewater beach house

 

The Cleveland Metroparks is rapidly approaching its 100 year anniversary in 2017, and the park system is currently working on improvements aimed at honoring the founders' vision and propelling the parks into the next century.

 

This week, the Metroparks unveiled $14 million of planned improvements to the lakefront parks. They include a two-level beach house at Edgewater Park, a boardwalk that would extend over the water at Whiskey island, a rebuilt pier at Euclid Beach, a pedestrian bridge crossing Euclid Creek and connecting Euclid Beach to Wildwood, and upgraded facilities at the East 55th Marina.

 

http://freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/lakefrontparkplans120314.aspx

 

Some good news!

There's a bridge to connect the new beachhouse to the W. 76th st tunnel?  Really?  What are we trying to bridge over, the pedestrian path?  Sometimes I feel we just love to build pointless bridges in this town.

Rest assured the new building design is in good hands.

 

Surf do you know if it is being done in-house?

 

Also below are some screenshots from the presentation, gives an idea of.the site. Some of the print is hard to read, I tried to sharpen it a bit.

I'm a little puzzled at the bridge to the West 76th tunnel as well. It would be completely redundant since the pedestrian path that connects with the tunnel ends right where the new beach house is planned to go.

 

Anyway, these plans look pretty good for being only preliminary. One change I would personally make is put the beach house a little further to the north, and have the deck (I assume that's what the big red circle is going to be) partially over the water.

 

I too hope this project emphasizes quality in the construction. If anything, it could be the catalyst that spurs public interest in redeveloping the rest of Cleveland's lakefront.

the "bridge" is for ADA compliance.

 

cheaper than an elevator.  and why build swithchback ramps when you already have one.  The 76th st path slopes down.  The "bridge" will connect into at the height of the second story of the building to allow access.

It appears somoe boring work began last week in the western upper area of the park (in he parking lot). There were Jersey barriars blocking off a large portion of the parking lot.

The are doing extensive work to the upper pavilion..  It will be expanded to include facilities that allow for catered events.

 

 

It appears somoe boring work began last week in the western upper area of the park (in he parking lot). There were Jersey barriars blocking off a large portion of the parking lot.

 

I thought that was sewer work.

the "bridge" is for ADA compliance.

 

cheaper than an elevator.  and why build swithchback ramps when you already have one.  The 76th st path slopes down.  The "bridge" will connect into at the height of the second story of the building to allow access.

Makes sense. The massing and elevation diagram from the Metroparks' presentation (PDF file: http://clevelandmetroparks.org/Uploads/Public/Documents/LakefrontPlanning/LakefrontPublicMeetingsPresentation.pdf) makes it more clearer.

Anyone else think this would be a good addition to Edgewater Park?

^Why is it for sale?  :-D

 

Actually I have always thought about more of a 'grand entrance' for edgewater, something that could be seen from the road as you pass. Maybe not this style but I like the scale.

^Why is it for sale?  :-D

 

Actually I have always thought about more of a 'grand entrance' for edgewater, something that could be seen from the road as you pass. Maybe not this style but I like the scale.

 

Great point, re: grand entrance. I'd like to see the Shoreway Blvd. improvements make it seem more like you're right in the middle of the Park vs. driving past it.

 

Funny I thought the architectural style is right in line with the original structures at Edge.

 

https://www.cardcow.com/images/set9/card13584_fr.jpg