CLEVELAND — A pocket park paying homage to Cleveland’s original lighthouse that stood at the corner of West 9th Street and Main Avenue is nearly complete, and a grand opening celebration is scheduled for later this month.
Lighthouse Park is a project years in the making, and was planned with the desire to celebrate the historic location while enhancing pedestrian connections between the Warehouse District and The Flats, according to a news release from the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA).
The park features landscaping, seating, bench swings, an electric hookup for device charging, and a light bar element, the release states. The project is also adding bike racks and crosswalk enhancements on Main Avenue at West 9th and 10th Streets.
Over the course of the design of the park, residents were asked how they would use it and what amenities they would like to see.
“As we engaged with the community on the park, we were continually reminded how important spaces like this are in a neighborhood – like a place to simply relax outside with your dog and get some fresh air,” said Thomas Starinsky, VP of Urban Planning and Design, DCA. "It was important to the organization to build upon experimental pop-up parks and deliver a park like this with high design, quality craftsmanship and swings.”
A grand opening celebration is scheduled at Lighthouse Park on Aug. 24, 2022, at 3 p.m., organizers said. It will include a live music performance, light refreshments and food, and remarks from Mayor Justin Bibb, DCA President and CEO Michael Deemer, and other project funders and contributors.
The park is built around six steps and a wall of bricks, the only remnants that still remain from Cleveland’s first lighthouse.
RELATED: Have you ever wondered why these steps and wall are at the corner of Main Avenue and West 9th?
Watch our story on the unique Cleveland landmark below:
The original lighthouse cost $8,000 to construct, and the stone tower stood 55 feet tall with 11 lamps and 14-inch reflectors, according to Lighthousefriends, which did a complete history of lighthouses in Cleveland.
The lighthouse was a reflection of the times. In the 1820 and 1830s, the young city was beginning to grow because of shipping, and ships needed guidance to get into the mouth of the Cuyahoga River.
The project was funded with federal dollars through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, the Cleveland Foundation, Ohio and Erie Canalway Strategic Initiative Program, George Gund Foundation, private donations, DCA and the Warehouse District Development Corporation.
"If we are going to make a positive impact on the quality of life of our community, we need to continue to cultivate partnerships where the City works with non-profit organizations and provides great opportunities like Lighthouse Park to become a reality," said Bibb.
For more information on the project, and the history of the lighthouse and the area surrounding the park, click here.
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