Cleveland is taking a two-pronged approach to its lakefront – immediate improvements and long-term strategic planning. A land bridge linking the downtown Mall to Huntington Bank Field and North Coast Harbor is still years away, but Clevelanders will have a brand-new public space on the waterfront much sooner.
In early March, the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation (NCWDC) unveiled plans for the North Coast Yard, a lakeshore pop-up park on a city-owned lot north of the Browns’ stadium.
Located next to the Steamship Mather, the venue will feature recreation, live music, community programming, and food and drinks from local businesses. The seasonal park is scheduled for a May soft launch, followed by an official christening in mid-June. North Coast Yard will offer free programming each May to September amid longer-term lakefront revitalization, a plan encompassing the land bridge, a redesigned Shoreway, and associated major infrastructure projects.
“This park belongs to the residents of the City of Cleveland,” says NCWDC executive director Scott Skinner. “While we’re planning on transforming (the lakefront) over the next 5-10 years, we want to provide opportunities for people to enjoy that space now.”
“Cleveland’s transformational lakefront development will be years in the making,” said Destination Cleveland president and CEO David Gilbert, chair of the NCDWC board of directors, in a press release. “This summer activation helps residents experience what the development could ultimately provide. The more residents who interact with the lakefront, the more they will believe in our city’s future as a waterfront city.”
In the near-term, the one-acre park will give visitors a sweeping view of Lake Erie and the Cleveland skyline. Otherwise, flexible space has been allocated for basketball, pickleball, yard games and open seating. Covered areas will host locally sourced food and beverage stands, while a small stage will bring the noise via DJs and live music.
Lakeside seating embodies the city’s ultimate vision of a welcoming lakefront, says Skinner.
“If you look at the master plan, there’s lots of opportunities for seating on the waterfront,” Skinner says. “It’s meant to be a place where you can get views of the water, and do that for free whenever you like.”
North Coast Yard is now seeking partners to enliven a space funded by NCWDC and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars from the City of Cleveland. Collaborations will be announced on the park website in the coming months, with the venue itself designed alongside lakefront stakeholders (The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Science Center) and local community groups.
Park advocates are eager for residents to celebrate downtown Cleveland’s “lakefront backyard.” This could mean sharing photos on social media, or telling friends and family about their adventures.
“It creates the idea that this is a place for the general public,” says Skinner. “This will be a seasonal pop-up that reopens every spring, until shovels are in the ground (for long-term development).”
Although construction on the lakefront remains years away, now is the time to familiarize more Clevelanders with what should be a vibrant public space, Skinner adds.
“Let’s start to create a sense of place that allows people to associate the lakefront with a positive and joyful experience,” he says.
Additional renderings of the proposed pop-up park are below, courtesy of North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation.
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