PARMA, Ohio — A former pond and catch basin in Parma that had been deemed an "eye-sore" for many years is finally undergoing an upgrade.
Crews are hard at work on the Veterans Memorial Basin in Veterans Memorial Park.
Residents told us they outright despised how it looked, and nearby homeowners say its function was failing as well.
Officials say they're now laser-focused on fixing flooding issues in this area and alleviating the stress of nearby homeowners who are constantly cleaning up after significant storm events.
Arkadij Prodan is eager for a new view on his daily morning walks through Veterans Memorial Park off of State Road in Parma.
"It looked like all kinds of stuff growing there and all that," Prodan said.
For years, the longtime resident has strolled past the old Veterans Memorial pond and overgrown basin.
"That drain was always plugging up there and all that. So, I assume they came up with a better idea now. A real fix," Prodan said.
While it's currently surrounded by fencing, crews are hard at work behind the scenes, converting the Veterans Memorial basin into an expanded dry detention basin.
Right now, they are removing trees to expand the space and grating the area around it.
They will also relocate a storm sewer that will discharge into the basin.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District announced plans to invest more than $4 million into the project.
It's a multi-fold effort to beautify the area for generations to come. Still, they say it's more important to decrease the nightmarish flooding and repeat property damage to nearby homeowners.
"People get water in the basements and things like that. It's been pretty bad," Prodan said.
"Veterans Memorial Park Storm water Basin is designed to alleviate basement backups from the downstream neighborhood by holding back nearly 16 million gallons of storm water," Nicole Velez, Watershed Team Leader at Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, said.
Officials say the completed project will be aesthetically pleasing with a walking path, signage and benches.
They aim to emulate the success and end product of the Upper Ridgewood Basin, which is located near the Shoppes at Parma.
RELATED: 'Pleasantly surprised, not an eyesore.' Parma's Upper Ridgewood Basin officially completed
While neighbors initially pushed back on that project, they applauded the end result.
"It really looked good, and it works," Prodan said.
The updated, expanded basin will be double the size of Upper Ridgewood.
It will be able to collect 16 million gallons of storm water that officials say will increase storm water storage in the area during significant rain events.
"As a detention basin, it'll essentially be a dry basin. It will have some always some water running through it, but very little, but then as it rains, the basin will act as a bathtub and fill up. Then over several days, the basin will slowly draw down," Velez said.
The pond was initially drained back in April 2020 to alleviate downstream flooding and make room for stormwater.
Prodan says the upgrade is a win-win for the area.
"It's good. As long as it helps everybody that's good. If it helps everybody, you're for it, right!"
The project is set to be completed by spring 2026.
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