OLIN selected as prime consultant, community needs assessment to begin this spring
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 — Cleveland — The City of Cleveland, through the Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects (MOCAP), has selected landscape architecture firm OLIN as the prime consultant on the development of a Citywide Parks & Recreation Master Plan. The first of its kind in Cleveland's history, the planning process will look at the city’s Neighborhood Resource and Recreation Centers (NRRCs), parks, pools, playgrounds and similar spaces across the city as well as the quantity and the quality of programs provided.
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 rec activities, and meets the needs of city residents, community groups, and other stakeholders.
“This is an incredible opportunity to revitalize public spaces in every neighborhood across our city,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “This plan is all about access and equity, removing barriers, building community, and creating places and experiences that enrich peoples’ lives.”
The selected partner for this project, 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.
The planning process officially kicks off this Friday, May 5. The three-phase planning process is expected to take 18 months to complete.
The plan will be created in three distinct phases. The first involves a robust and inclusive community needs assessment that will identify the current and future parks and recreation needs of Clevelanders, community groups, and stakeholders over the next 15 years. The second phase is the creation of a long-range plan that will reconcile existing conditions with the community needs assessment. The third phase entails a strategic plan that will outline the best methods to finance and implement the long-range plan to make it a reality.
“We look forward to engaging with residents and the community as we embark on this planning process,” said MOCAP Director James D. DeRosa. “My team is excited to get started and we expect for public engagement opportunities and other ways to get involved with the master plan to be announced this summer.”
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.
More about OLIN and the studio’s work can be found at parks.theolinstudio.com.
Related: Cleveland issues RFP for first-ever Citywide Parks and Recreation Master Plan | City of Cleveland Ohio - Mayor Justin M. Bibb
