Residential leadership shapes new park “every step of the way”

A community-led renovation of Lake Pool Park is underway, with the goal of modernizing equipment and improving safety for residents.

Construction has begun at Lake Pool Park, where the City of Cleveland is investing $654,000 for playground equipment, a splashpad, a shelter, 27 new trees and various other updates and improvements. The project is on schedule to be completed this summer. 

Jim McKnight, project manager and landscape architect from the city of Cleveland, notes that the existing equipment at the decades old park was “long overdue to get some improvements.”

Located at 1341 W. 85 St. in Ward 15, Lake Pool Park is 1.2 acres of parkland. Imagining its transformation emerged from conversation among members of the community.

“Resident leadership and advocacy have shaped park design and priorities every step of the way,” said city council member Jenny Spencer. “It was the community’s vision to add a new expanded entry on West 83rd Street, replacing the former (current) entry that is narrow and not fully accessible.”

Nikki Hudson, block club president for the Edgewater Park Neighborhood, agrees that resident participation shaped “park design and amenities, including the nature play theme.” She also notes that Julie Van Wagenan, who lives across the street from the  park, formed a Friends of Lake Park group years ago and “has led the effort for the community’s involvement.” 

“I believe that this involvement and the suggestions and recommendations of neighbors has made this project better than it ever could have been without it,” Hudson said. “I am very proud of (Van Wagenan) and the rest of our neighbors who have been involved in this process and helped to create a City Park that’s really tied into the neighborhood.”

“The park shelter will provide much needed shade until new trees mature. The shelter will also be great for community events and meetings,” Van Wagenen said. “The new splash pad will be an awesome addition since the City pool season is very limited and nearly every year, there are mechanical issues at Lake pool, which further shortens the pool season here.”

Van Wagenen, who became more directly involved with improving the safety standards at Lake Pool Park after her own children started using the outdated playground equipment there, credits Hudson with bringing the community together to facilitate the renovation.

“Lake Park improvements became my naptime project as a new parent. I never imagined my initial efforts would spiral into a full park remodel! This was the result of the strength of our community and our incredible block club leader Nikki Hudson who facilitated multiple block club meetings at Lake Park during the planning process,” she said. “Councilwoman Jenny Spencer is especially to thank for diligently listening to community desires and concerns and working tirelessly to see the project through.”

Community research is also shaping the use of the park’s associated public art budget. According to Spencer, this research “yielded information about Walter B. Wright, a prominent black Clevelander who lived near the park a century ago. 

“The public art committee will be focusing its intention on Wright’s legacy and how to memorialize that through public art,” Spencer added.

The public art budget will total roughly $20,000. Currently, there is an artist selection committee being created to determine the allocation of these funds. It will be convened by Tarra Petras, the city’s public art coordinator.

“I would like to think that providing the additional activities in the park… extends the use of the park beyond simply the swimming pool that was there previously, and making the connection to West 83^rd street is really an opportunity to expand the impact of the footprint and really improve the east-west connections to other sections of the neighborhood in Ward 15,” McKnight said. “It’s truly a very important neighborhood park.”