CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Soon you will start to see some big changes along the river in Cuyahoga Falls. The city is spending millions on its Riverloop Project, rebuilding its boardwalk and the walking trail above it.
The boardwalk along the Cuyahoga River is a favorite for many families in the spring and summer. Built in the 1980s into bedrock and water, the structure is in disrepair in some spots and completely shut down in others.
"So, as you can imagine a lot of rot and things like that, it's time to replace it totally," said Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters.
Ground is now starting to break to add new electric lines underground that will light up the trail above the boardwalk. The plan is to widen the walkway by 10 feet and make it ADA-compliant.
New additions include family swings overlooking the river, a small wedding venue and "love lock" fence, an area to access the river and pan for gold, a bald eagle lookout, and a new stage.
The Portage Trail bridge will be illuminated, and the city's name will be displayed for drivers traveling on Route 8. At Broad Boulevard, more lighting will be added, as well as an underpass to prevent pedestrians from crossing the busy street.
"I'm a lifetime resident. I've been down here running around since I was a little kid. Now, to see it be very vibrant, people enjoying it besides me, I've always loved it but now lots of people do, even out of towners come here to enjoy it. It's very rewarding, I'm proud of Cuyahoga Falls," said Walters.
The Riverloop project will also include beautification and landscaping efforts from Oakwood to Broad Boulevard.
"7.1 million dollars we're actually paying cash. We have a lot of money in the bank right now, so we don't have to take a loan or bonds on this. We're paying cash because we had it in the coffers," said Walters.
Sitting above all this new hustle and bustle is Front Street, a hub of local eateries and businesses. Metropolis Popcorn is one of the longer-standing favorites, serving up 50 flavors of corn for 17 years.
Owner Brent Van Fossen has watched the area around his shop change.
"People were still coming here, maybe in smaller numbers, but they would always ask, what do you do down here? And there weren't a whole lot of great answers to that," he said.
When the city opened Front Street to traffic years ago, businesses boomed. But Metropolis said it could use a new boost.
"If you have to choose between eggs and a bag of caramel corn, eggs are probably going to win out. So, the last couple of years have been a bit of a roller coaster for us," said Van Fossen.
Van Fossen hopes that more momentum at the river will keep his team bagging popcorn for years to come.
"The whole framework is there, this just makes it more inviting is what I'm hoping. Anything that brings people down here is great for us," said Van Fossen.
Walters said the city is getting a head start on all this because of another project underway down the river. The Edison Dam at the Gorge is planned to be brought down.
When completed, the Cuyahoga River is expected to gain even more miles of white water for kayaking and canoeing. The hope is that more folks will come out and enjoy the river when it all opens up.
Walters said construction will not shut down anything during the summer months. The entire Riverloop Project should be completed by Labor Day 2026.
