(Plain Press November 2024) On September 25th, 2024, Cleveland Metroparks, together with LAND studio, announced the awarding of a $10.8 million grant from the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (ORLP) Program for the development of the future Irishtown Bend Park. The planned park is on the hillside above the Cuyahoga River just south of Detroit Avenue and east of W. 25^th Street.

   The $10.8 million in ORLP funds will support the construction of park features, including an amphitheater, overlook plazas, picnic areas, open space, play areas and a boardwalk, as well as necessary irrigation and landscaping components. Complementing the design of the park, Cleveland Metroparks will construct the final segment of the Lake Link Trail that will traverse Irishtown Bend. The Park District has secured $3.35 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funds for trail construction.

“We maintain a commitment of progress for the community and this substantial federal investment brings a shared vision held by many project partners to reality,” said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman.

“Irishtown Bend Park is the last missing piece in connecting Clevelanders to parklands and trails extending from Lake Erie to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and beyond,” said LAND studio Executive Director Gregory Peckham. 

   The ORLP funds are matched by $10.8 million from LAND studio, which includes generous support from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, the State of Ohio, the George Gund Foundation and other project donors.

   For more information on the Irishtown Bend Park project, visit irishtownbend.org and see design concepts at https://youtu.be/DL38bCx7C2E.