Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 – Cleveland – Today, the City Planning Commission kicked off the search for a consultant team to create a world-class, community-based master plan for the North Coast Lakefront.
Requirements include new and revitalized public spaces that are integrated into mixed-use public and private redevelopment opportunities and work in harmony with the development plans of existing Lakefront stakeholders.
With a focus on people-oriented design, the goal of this master plan is to meet the needs and desires of the city and the region, now and for generations to come.
“Cleveland is a lakefront city, yet for too long we have turned our back on this incredible resource,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “Our waterfronts have symbolized division instead of shared assets for all Clevelanders. My vision is to provide access to all 14 miles of Cleveland’s Lakefront with the guiding principles of racial equity, economic opportunity, and climate resiliency.”
The request for proposals (RFP) issued today was developed in collaboration with Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) and other thought leaders and stakeholders. A key requirement in the RFP is “visible and intensive community input” to ensure the lakefront is a source of pride and enjoyment for residents as well as accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
Following an approximately 12-month process, the final deliverable will be a tangible, detailed and implementable plan that has been adopted by the Cleveland Planning Commission. The master plan will be used to seek funding and will become a blueprint for future development.
The timeline of the RFP aligns with the timing of the North Coast Lakefront Connector Feasibility Study, underway since Fall 2021, as well as many other development efforts happening adjacent to the plan’s defined geography—150 acres in total, approximately bounded by East 18th Street to the east, West 6th Street to the west, Lake Erie to the north and Lakeside Avenue to the south.
“The alignment of these planning efforts and the cross collaboration among stakeholders is very much by design,” said City of Cleveland Planning Director Joyce Pan Huang. “We are setting ourselves up for success through thoughtful integration so that this plan—unlike many that came before it—can be funded and implemented with sustained momentum.”
The timing is right for a successful planning effort given that several catalytic infrastructure and development projects—both underway and in the pipeline over the next decade—also require a coordinated approach and stakeholder input.
The full RFP is available on the city’s website here: RFPs/RFQs: Request For Proposals For Professional Planning Services For The Cleveland North Coast Lakefront Master Plan | City of Cleveland (clevelandohio.gov)
In addition to the scope and requirements, the document includes a brief history of the last century of planning of the North Coast Lakefront as well as a map highlighting various planning and development work taking place in the project area.
Completed responses to the RFP are due by 5 p.m. EST on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.
