Open house and pop-up sessions hosted by MOCAP and Olin Studios will kick off Tuesday, May 14
May 10, 2024 — Cleveland — The Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects (MOCAP) is in the second phase of planning the future of parks and recreation in the city of Cleveland. As preliminary recommendations for the long-range plan have been drafted, the City seeks reactions from residents. With that, a series of open houses are scheduled for May 14, 15, 16, and 17, on both the west and east sides of town.
“We are excited to share this draft with the community to get additional feedback and to ensure that what we heard in the first round of public engagement is well reflected,” said MOCAP Director James DeRosa. “The team is grateful for the time that everyone has dedicated to this process so far. Our parks and public spaces belong to the residents, and we are committed to making sure these spaces meet the community's needs.”
The open houses are being organized by OLIN, the Philadelphia-based landscape architecture and planning firm selected to guide the planning process.
“Last summer, over 1,500 Clevelanders told us what they would like parks and recreation in the city to look like in the future,” says Lucinda Sanders, Design Partner and CEO of OLIN.
Led by MOCAP, the 15-year master plan will create a roadmap that ensures just and fair capital investment in parks and recreation, provides equitable connections to quality parks and recreation activities while meeting the needs of city residents, community groups, and other stakeholders. During the upcoming open houses, residents will be able to view the draft recommendations and provide feedback.
“We want to give Clevelanders the opportunity to see what we learned last summer, to review the major components of the long-range plan and to provide their reactions to help us further refine the plan,” Sanders continues.
Seeking a diverse range of participation to ensure residents’ voices are heard and translated in the final plans, open houses will be held at the following locations:
- Michael Zone Neighborhood Resource & Recreation Center, 6301 Lorain Ave., on Tuesday, May 14
- Collinwood Neighborhood Resource & Recreation Center, 16300 Lakeshore Blvd., on Wednesday, May 15
- Estabrook Neighborhood Resource & Recreation Center, 4125 Fulton Road, on Thursday, May 16 and
- Lonnie Burten Neighborhood Resource & Recreation Center, 2511 E. 46th Street, on Friday, May 17
All open houses will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Light meals will be served.
There will also be two pop-up sessions to learn more about the draft plan:
- Wednesday, May 15 – Pop-Up at Senior Day at Public Auditorium (500 Lakeside Ave.), 10 a.m. to noon
- Monday, May 20 – Pop-Up at Kerruish Park (17200 Tarkington Ave. by the pool) with The Trust for Public Land and the Cleveland Parks & Greenspace Coalition, 3 to 6 p.m.
“Ultimately, the City seeks to create a dynamic and equitable network of parks and recreational facilities, enhance the quality of life and natural environment, preserve and steward the city’s rich cultural identities, and evolve with the needs of current and future generations of Clevelanders,” Sanders adds.
The three-phase planning process is expected to be completed this year. The goal of the second phase is to deliver a long-range plan that will reconcile existing conditions with the community needs assessment conducted last summer. The third phase entails a strategic plan outlining the best methods to finance and implement the long-range plan.
The City of Cleveland currently operates 179 unique parks and recreation sites, including 155 city parks, 23 recreation centers, and 1 golf course that total nearly 1,760 acres. These sites include 111 baseball fields, 108 playgrounds, 88 basketball courts, 70 tennis courts, 40 indoor or outdoor swimming pools, and hundreds of other public amenities and programs.
To learn more about the project visit www.cleparksrecplan.com.
ABOUT THE MAYORS OFFICE OF CAPITAL PROJECTS (MOCAP)
The mission of MOCAP is to provide for the planning, designing, construction, and preservation of the City of Cleveland's facilities and infrastructure through collaborative and comprehensive planning, leadership in management, excellence in sustainable design and technical expertise, and quality construction based on integrity and professionalism. The office oversees the Division of Architecture and Site Development, the division of Engineering and Construction, and The Division of Real Estate.
ABOUT OLIN STUDIOS
OLIN is a nationally and internationally recognized studio with more than 40 years of experience in parks and recreation system planning and designing for the public realm. OLIN projects include a 25-year master plan to transform the post-industrial land along Philadelphia’s Delaware River, the campus and gardens at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, the award-winning 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C., and the parks master plan for Oklahoma City. OLIN is also the team behind the Eastman Reading Garden at the Cleveland Public Library and the plaza and greenspace surrounding the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building. More about OLIN and the studio’s work can be found at parks.theolinstudio.com
