Thu 2/2 @ 5:30-7:30PM
Sat 2/4 @ 1:30-3:30PM
It’s hard to believe now but once upon a time, the lakefront on the east side of Cleveland had beaches and all the amenities that go with them, with recreational infrastructure similar to that of Edgewater Park. Alas, that was long ago before the Shoreway tore through it. Now it’s mostly rocks and cement walkways used by fisherpeople.
But there’s a plan brewing to change that which become more urgent as more and more upgrades have happened to the west side lakefront, crating obvious inequality. It’s called CHEERS aka the “Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy,” a project led by the Cleveland Metroparks. It’s described by the as “a concept that emerged from a yearlong study to determine how to transform Cleveland’s lakeshore through reconnecting communities to the lake, improving public health, bolstering the economy, and benefiting the environment and natural habitat.”
“CHEERS will utilize beneficial use of dredge material to improve shoreline resilience, build habitat, expand parks, and work to heal damage done by past unjust developmental practices and industrial use,” they say. “Community engagement kicks off in early 2023.”
Hey — that’s now! And it does! They have two community open houses scheduled this week on the east side of Cleveland: at Goldhorn Brewery (1361 E. 55th Street) on Thursday and at the EJ Kovacic Rec Center (6250 St. Clair) on Saturday. Come to Goldhorn and you can buy yourself some beer to enjoy while you learn and ask questions.
To learn more about what’s being proposed, go here.