Posted August 18, 201113 yr Does anyone have any information or update on the status of the development of Canal Basin Park and the Lake Link Trail through the Flats to the Coast Guard station on Whiskey Island? I know these projects are part of a larger plan to bring the Towpath Trail into downtown Cleveland from Steelyard Commons. The last links are very complex due to the routing of the trail through industrial sites and other areas that may require environmental remediation. The original timelines proposed completing the park and the lake link trail after the Towpath link was complete. However, it may make sense to consider revising the timeline and order of the project. For example, a completed lake link trail and Canal Basin Park would link a lot of the developments currently going on downtown (e.g., Flats East Bank, Stonegate complex on the west bank, convention center, casino, Rivergate Rowing Park, etc., ). In addition, these projects might also provide a catalyst to attract public and private funding to complete the remaining segments of the Towpath project and the long discussed plan to provide a downtown terminus for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR). Completion of this vision along with the redevelopment of the old B&O train station into a trail head – visitor center—train station for the CVSR would provide the city of Cleveland with a unique amenity for its citizens and a destination that would attract a significant amount of visitors and new residents to the city.
August 18, 201113 yr The Lake Link Trail is being actively worked on. The first segment of the trail would connect Stonebridge to Wendy Park via a new pedestrian bridge. The engineering and design work for the bridge is underway. Grants are being sought to build this first segment of the trail. Preliminary design work is complete. The trail would also serve to capture a lot of storm water, so the design is a little more complicated than an ordinary trail. The other segment of the trail cannot be worked on until the hillside at Irishtown Bend is fixed.
August 18, 201113 yr The Lake Link Trail is being actively worked on. The first segment of the trail would connect Stonebridge to Wendy Park via a new pedestrian bridge. The engineering and design work for the bridge is underway. Grants are being sought to build this first segment of the trail. Preliminary design work is complete. The trail would also serve to capture a lot of storm water, so the design is a little more complicated than an ordinary trail. The other segment of the trail cannot be worked on until the hillside at Irishtown Bend is fixed. I can't wait for the pedestrian bridge to be built. It's very frustrating that I live ~500 yards from Whiskey Island but still have to drive ~4 miles to get there.
July 11, 201212 yr The last portion of the towpath trail is finally here!! I got an email today and will update this with the facebook link to the event. On July 30, ground will be broken on Cleveland's first publicly funded section of the Towpath Trail. This long clamored-for project represents the physical beginning of the Towpath's journey to the doorstep of downtown Cleveland. Towpath Groundbreaking July 30, 2012 at 11 a.m. Scranton Peninsula. Open to the public.
September 22, 201212 yr The Friends of Canal Basin Park just announced two meetings to discuss plans for Canal Basin Park. Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Wednesday, October 24, 2012 Here is the link for further details. http://www.warehousedistrict.org/news-events.aspx?newsid=45 In addition, attached is a link to a website that has a few renderings of some design proposals for the park. Looks like a very promising start, especially the incorporation of the Hulett oreloaders. http://a2so4.com/architecture-3/cleveland-canal-basin/ This park has the potential to be a transformational project that would finally provide downtown Cleveland with a link to both the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. Canal Basin Park would complement development efforts that are currently underway including the Towpath Trail link to downtown, the Lake Link Trail from the Flats to Wendy Park on Whiskey Island, and Rivergate Park that is being developed by the Cleveland Rowing Foundation. Imagine the potential of this park combined with other proposals that have been discussed for a number of years….. • Completion of the Flats East Bank development with new office, retail, enterntainment, and residental housing; • Completion of the Stonebridge development on the West Bank of the Flats; • Completion of the plans for Wendy Park and the redevelopment Old Coast Guard Station on Whiskey Island; • Redevelopment of the old B&O station on Canal Road that as a cultural /historical museum and potential downtown terminal for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad; • Restoration of a regional rail network centralized at Tower City (e.g., the West Shore Commuter Rail and network with links to Akron, Youngstown and Pittsburgh). Cleveland has enormous potential just waiting to be tapped. The key is creating links that "regenerate" rather than "cannibalize" existing development efforts.
September 24, 201212 yr Right, this does look like a promising start. This is an exciting project. Can't wait to see how it all unfolds.
October 25, 201212 yr FYI, regarding Towpath Trail...... http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,1375.msg647095.html#msg647095 "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 25, 201212 yr Also, the final meeting for Friends of Canal Basin Park for this year was last night. From that meeting: design ideas were shown from many different groups including the designers of Millennium Park in Chicago 84% of the land for the park is already in control or in friendly hands the final leg of the Tow Path will be complete by 2016 and this may include Lake Link Trail as well the park will be complete at the same time as the trails active recreational activities, dog park, and programmable space were the main suggestions from residents the Scranton Rd piece of the trail has broken ground in Tremont RTA will begin service on the Waterfront Line in May of 2013 and is currently cleaning up all stations water features and a kid focus for some aspects of the park were brought up as well with references to St. Louis and Cincinnati's new parks it will be under the control of the city, Metroparks and possibly the Cuyahoga National Park rangers everyone agreed that there should be less focus on parking lots and a high focus on making this a high quality park and there were so many more things, but I cannot remember them all.
October 25, 201212 yr thanks for the update james... not sure how many big cities have a trail that leads to a national park... plus it fits well with the medical capital theme... hopefully we can become known as a healthy city...
May 20, 201411 yr Hi Everyone, I drove down Scranton on Sunday and was amazed to see the progress of the towpath. It's really starting to look nice now. And when everything grows in it will be delightful. This is an area that could be absolutely amazing one day ....
June 13, 201411 yr As a supplement to Paul's great shots of the Scranton Peninsula trail project, here some update shots from last week of the segment south of the LC bridge. This trail is going to be so awesome, especially when the connection to Tremont is completed (not to mention all the other trails). 1. View southeast towards Tremont, where it will tie into the new overlook by the new Innerbelt bridge and beyond: 2. There's an awesome little pier that extends into the fish habitat here (Paul has a photo of it too): 3. Looking north to the LC bridge: 4. A cool random detail on the edge of the park is that the old cobbled road bed and stone curbs are still visible to the side of the new asphalt of Scranton Rd. They sure don't build roads like they used to. It's visible in the previous photo, but here's a better shot: 5. Unfortunately the trail wasn't open to the public yet, though not sure what's left to be finished (Paul broke the rules!): 6. Here's a view of the northern stretch of the trail from the LC bridge: 7. And some future trail customers on the awesome LC bike path: The growing trail system in the Flats and adjacent west side neighborhoods is one of the most exciting projects going on in town right now. This area is going to be a really special biking/jogging/walking paradise when all the segments are completed.
June 18, 201410 yr What are the orange buoys in the water for? They're not aesthetically pleasing. Is it to keep boats from getting too close to the shore?
June 18, 201410 yr I think there's a submerged bulkhead there to protect the shipping channel from the muck in the fish habitat, but with openings near the top to let the fish swim in and out. I suspect the floats are to keep boats from slamming into the bulkhead.
June 18, 201410 yr These pictures are a little older but you get a sense of the scale. Taken from LC bridge. Taken from roof of the Terminal Tower. https://www.instagram.com/cle_and_beyond/https://www.instagram.com/jbkaufer/
June 19, 201410 yr AWESOME PHOTOS! "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 28, 201410 yr There is a new section of the City Planning Commission website devoted to plans for Canal Basin Park: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/assets/CanalBasinPark.pdf "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
October 28, 201410 yr ^Wow...what an amazing study. I don't have time to digest it all right now but I will be staring at those maps and graphics for days. What could be and what once was is fascinating. How about a water feature in what used to be the canal basin for example, I have never seen that map before. Thnx for posting.
October 28, 201410 yr Why is this in "Completed Projects"? Way too many threads for unfinished projects are moved here! There is a new section of the City Planning Commission website devoted to plans for Canal Basin Park: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/assets/CanalBasinPark.pdf What a great connector this Park could be.
October 29, 201410 yr Why is this in "Completed Projects"? Way too many threads for unfinished projects are moved here! There is a new section of the City Planning Commission website devoted to plans for Canal Basin Park: http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/assets/CanalBasinPark.pdf Now THAT is a cool plan. Great find and thanks for posting.
October 30, 201410 yr Just curious, but why are Canal Basin Park and Lake Link Trail lumped together in one thread? The Lake Link Trail is on the west bank of the flats and doesn't touch Canal Basin. The Towpath will connect to CBP.
November 11, 201410 yr Designs for Towpath Trail final stretches have dramatic overlooks (slideshow) By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer November 10, 2014 at 2:18 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Plans for the final miles of the Towpath Trail show an elevated section traveling underneath the Harvard-Denison Bridge and a stretch in Tremont that converts much of University Road into a bluff-side path with dramatic overlooks. The plans are for the northernmost six miles of the Towpath Trail, part of the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canalway that runs from Tuscarawas County to Cleveland. Although most of the southern canalway is complete, building the final miles from the Metroparks Reservation at old Harvard Avenue to downtown Cleveland has been complicated and time-consuming because of a patchwork of property owners and environmental issues. The remaining segments in Cuyahoga County are now expected to be completed by 2019, much to the delight of residents and others scrutinizing the "preferred route alternatives" for the Towpath Trail Extension at a meeting last week. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/11/designs_for_towpath_trail_fina.html#incart_related_stories
November 11, 201410 yr Designs for Towpath Trail final stretches have dramatic overlooks (slideshow) By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer November 10, 2014 at 2:18 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Plans for the final miles of the Towpath Trail show an elevated section traveling underneath the Harvard-Denison Bridge and a stretch in Tremont that converts much of University Road into a bluff-side path with dramatic overlooks. The plans are for the northernmost six miles of the Towpath Trail, part of the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canalway that runs from Tuscarawas County to Cleveland. Although most of the southern canalway is complete, building the final miles from the Metroparks Reservation at old Harvard Avenue to downtown Cleveland has been complicated and time-consuming because of a patchwork of property owners and environmental issues. The remaining segments in Cuyahoga County are now expected to be completed by 2019, much to the delight of residents and others scrutinizing the "preferred route alternatives" for the Towpath Trail Extension at a meeting last week. http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2014/11/designs_for_towpath_trail_fina.html#incart_related_stories While all these plans look great, and I am very pleased with all that is happening, and going to happen with the Towpath Trail, there still is at least one missing link. That is a connection to the Brooklyn Center neighborhood of Cleveland. The Towpath Trail is suppose to be designed in such a way to connect to Cleveland's neighborhoods, but for some reason the Brooklyn Center neighborhood has not been included. The Towpath Trail as designed in the area of the Harvard-Denison Bridge and Jennings Road does not have a connection to Brooklyn Center. The residents of Brooklyn Center deserve a connection to the Towpath Trail just as other neighborhoods are getting. Why has the planners of this current and future asset to the city of Cleveland, not included a connection to Brooklyn Center? It is a question the residents would like to have answered. From talking to many of the residents of the Brooklyn Center neighborhood of Cleveland, they are under the impression that the city of Cleveland, and all other planners of the Towpath Trail have not addressed this issue. The residents of the neighborhood would truly like a connection to the Towpath Trail in order to have direct access just like other neighborhoods are getting. The Brooklyn Center neighborhood would like to know if a study has been done to determine if, or what the best way to connect the neighborhood to the trail would be. There are residents who have an idea as too what the best option would be for a connection to the Towpath Trail, and that would be to develop a switchback in the area of Old Denison Ave. and Jennings Road on the land (hill) on the west side of Jennings Road, N of Old Denison Ave.. This switchback could connect to Denison Avenue, and a bike lane could be added to Denison Avenue as part of its planned reconstruction. Denison Ave. is wide enough for a bike lane to be added from where the Harvard-Denison Bridge terminates on its western end to at least Fulton Road.
November 11, 201410 yr Isn't the new bike/ped path through Harmody Park supposed to connect to Brooklyn Centre to the area near the Towpath Trail? It doesn't quite get all the way there, but it looks like Jennings has fairly generous bike lanes to connect bikers at the end. Also, FYI, we actually have a separate Towpath Trail thread, though maybe it makes sense to have a single thread focused on the Cleveland Flats trail network to tie them all together: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,1375.msg732908.html#new
November 11, 201410 yr Isn't the new bike/ped path through Harmody Park supposed to connect to Brooklyn Centre to the area near the Towpath Trail? It doesn't quite get all the way there, but it looks like Jennings has fairly generous bike lanes to connect bikers at the end. Also, FYI, we actually have a separate Towpath Trail thread, though maybe it makes sense to have a single thread focused on the Cleveland Flats trail network to tie them all together: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,1375.msg732908.html#new The Harmody Park trail ends at Jennings Road, and is not connected to the Brooklyn Center neighborhood. It is actually in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood, across the Mill Creek Valley. Where the trail ends from Hormody Park down on Jennings Road, one has to basically ride on Jennings Road, and turn onto Old Harvard Ave to get to the Towpath Trail currently. Or stay on Jennings Road going north, and pick up the trail behind Steelyard Commons. Sorry, meant to say Big Creek Valley, not Mill Creek.
November 11, 201410 yr ^Argh, sorry, I know better than to mix up Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn. Good question about connections to Brooklyn Centre. FWIW, lack of access is recognized by the city's planners as a "challenge," and sounds like one option the city has considered is "link Brooklyn Centre to Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail via neighborhood connector from Calgary Park through Lower Big Creek Valley" http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/cwp/districts.php?dt=dist2&dn=brkln
November 11, 201410 yr ^Argh, sorry, I know better than to mix up Brooklyn Centre and Old Brooklyn. Good question about connections to Brooklyn Centre. FWIW, lack of access is recognized by the city's planners as a "challenge," and sounds like one option the city has considered is "link Brooklyn Centre to Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail via neighborhood connector from Calgary Park through Lower Big Creek Valley" http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/cwp/districts.php?dt=dist2&dn=brkln The better plan would be to link Brooklyn Center with the switchback IMO. It would hopefully be a cheaper option, the switchback would be directly connected to Denison Ave. (and the Denison Ave bike lanes if they are a part of the Denison Ave. reconstruction). Having a hiking/biking trail along the Big Creek Valley is also a good idea, and could link up to trails already in place by the zoo, plus the Towpath Trail, but because Calgary Park is so small and out of the way from so many other areas of Brooklyn Center, and would be so hard to connect too from the Big Creek Valley do to its topography, I still think the switchback is the best option.
January 7, 201510 yr No graphics, but evidence of further progress... http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2015/01092015/index.php City Planning Commission Agenda for January 9, 2015 Ordinance No. 1631-14(Ward 3/Councilmember Cimperman): Authorizing the Director of Capital Projects to issue a permit to The Board of Park Commissioners of the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District to encroach into the public right-of-way of Scranton Road by installing, using, and maintaining an overhead pedestrian bridge as part of Segment 1A of the Lake Link Trail; authorizing the Director of Public Works to execute a deed of easement for certain easement interests in property needed to implement the improvement and declaring the easement interest not needed for the City's public use; and authorizing one or more agreements to implement Segment 1A of the Lake Link Trail Project. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
January 7, 201510 yr Construction is underway. If you drive on Carter Rd just east of Columbus Rd, you can see that the right of way has been cleared. The contractor has until June 1st to finish the Lake Link section between Scranton/University(Towpath) and the Columbus Rd Bridge.
February 4, 201510 yr Port of Cleveland study outlines $49M fix for Irishtown Bend that could enable Lake Link Trail, other projects http://t.co/rJ7eeJOmrh "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 31, 201510 yr Construction is underway. If you drive on Carter Rd just east of Columbus Rd, you can see that the right of way has been cleared. The contractor has until June 1st to finish the Lake Link section between Scranton/University(Towpath) and the Columbus Rd Bridge. Looks like they're most of the way there - photos from yesterday: Someday we'll be able to load up on pierogis at Sokolowskis and then grab a refresher at Hooples - some day :-) clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
May 31, 201510 yr MayDay[/member] that looks nice. Where there a lot of people down there? What was your sense of connectivity in relation to the surroundings?
May 31, 201510 yr Not too many people out and about - it was pretty warm and humid with storms threatening (which hit later that evening). Plus, this section is relatively new and the direct connections to Duck Island (Columbus Road) and Tremont (University Road) aren't open yet. Once that happens I'm sure more people will utilize it. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
May 31, 201510 yr ^You're welcome! I have a few more in a new photo thread http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,30142.msg758215.html#new clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
June 29, 20159 yr Not quite MayDay[/member] worthy but a nice set of photos from @sharetheriver http://sharetheriver.smugmug.com/LakeLinkTrail
June 30, 20159 yr Not quite MayDay[/member] worthy but a nice set of photos from @sharetheriver http://sharetheriver.smugmug.com/LakeLinkTrail Is it me or is that area slowly growing....beautiful?
June 30, 20159 yr ^ I rode the tail for the first time last night. I'd definitely say it was 'beautiful'
June 30, 20159 yr Not quite MayDay[/member] worthy but a nice set of photos from @sharetheriver http://sharetheriver.smugmug.com/LakeLinkTrail Oh I'd say your pictures were definitely MayDay[/member]-quality! Nice angles! Nice job. Glad to see the Cleveland & Mahoning Valley Railroad (chartered in 1848) has found a new purpose. This railroad corridor was constructed in 1855-56 and spent most of its next 127 years as the First District of the Mahoning Division of the Erie Railroad Co. (a Chicago-New York City major railroad) headquartered in Terminal Tower until 1976. I'll look for an old photo for comparison. "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
June 30, 20159 yr Glad someone got those shots, I won't be shimmying up any bridges any time soon. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
June 30, 20159 yr Last time I was on the trail was right after a large storm a few weeks ago. Looks like some of the buoys protecting the fish sanctuary part were broken. Any idea if that would have severe consequences for the fishies?
November 3, 20159 yr Good news here! They hinted at this on the last Take a Hike tour. Metroparks plans "greening" for 1.5-acres of the future 20-acre Canal Basin Park "Sean McDermott, chief planning and design officer at the Metroparks, said the agency would install grass, walking paths and trees on the 1.5-acre parcel, making it easier to walk from Columbus Road and Center Street to Heritage Park on the Cuyahoga River, just northeast of the Center Street Swing Bridge. The parking lot that will be removed now wraps the eastern and northern sides of the short row of buildings that contains the Flat Iron Café at northeast corner of Merwin Avenue and Center Street on Columbus Road Peninsula in the Flats." http://www.cleveland.com/architecture/index.ssf/2015/11/metroparks_plans_spruce-up_of.html#incart_gallery
November 3, 20159 yr I'm so excited for that. I always walk thru that way on my way over to downtown and that parking lot is such an eyesore right now. I think just cleaning that up will go a long way to helping connect the West Bank/Stonebridge with the rest of downtown.
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