Hello everyone! As you may have seen, the demolition of the former Front Steps building on West 25th Street has begun. We are inching closer to realizing the vision of the community at Irishtown Bend!
Check out the full press release by visiting the ITB website:
Irishtown Bend Park Update March 20th, 2023
Welcome back, everybody! As you might have heard, some exciting news from the Mandel Foundation has been announced: A five million dollar challenge grant will go towards Irishtown Bend!
The grant from the prominent Cleveland-based foundation is a major step forward in raising funds to create Irishtown Bend Park: a 23-acre dynamic, shared public green space that connects downtown and Cleveland neighborhoods to the Cuyahoga River, Lake Erie, and beyond. The plans for Irishtown Bend Park prioritize equity through diversity, accessibility, and inclusion and were shaped by the resident-led Committee of Champions, which puts residents of neighboring Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority properties at the center of park planning. When complete, Irishtown Bend Park will enhance community health and connections, expand the city’s green space, promote economic growth, and establish the missing link between the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and Lake Erie.
The Mandel Foundation’s challenge grant means the Foundation will match—dollar for dollar—up to $5 million total in additional donations collected now through the end of 2024 to help build Irishtown Bend Park. This grant will effectively double donations from foundations and corporations.
Development of the Park will begin following the stabilization of the Irishtown Bend hillside, which is separately funded and is being led by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority. Fundraising for the construction of the Park and its amenities is ongoing. Inquiries regarding donations to support the challenge grant should be directed to Deanna Palermo, LAND studio director of foundation relations, at dpalermo@LAND-studio.org
Last but not least, we have a new website for Irishtown Bend. We will continue to post updates on CoUrbanize, but the new website will be the official home of the park. Check it out and stay tuned for more!
Beginning this week, the next visible sign in the stabilization and restoration of the Irishtown Bend Hillside will begin. H&H Tree Services has been contracted to fell and remove trees from the hillside.
The process of felling the trees is expected to last roughly 2 weeks, and the removal and clean up may last up to 2 months.
While traffic will be maintained and the work should not impact residents in any meaningful way, it is possible that there will be temporary lane closures along Franklin Boulevard east of West 25th Street.
Irishtown Bend project partner NEOCH is assisting and has worked to house many of the former residents of the hillside.
We had a blast at our meeting on 10/13/21, and are so excited to keep moving forward. If you didn't get a chance to go to the meeting or see it online, you can still catch it on our Facebook page, YouTube channel, or on our website!
You can also view the slides here.
Lastly, please make sure to provide your feedback here on CoUrbanize by the end of the day on Wednesday 10/20/21. We will be taking all of the feedback that we have so far and working it into our designs. Soon, we will be presenting to the planning commission.
But don't forget to check back here. We will continue to provide updates and will be asking for more specific design feedback soon.
Thank you for all your support!
More information about the live stream will be available as the date nears.
This page will be used to collect feedback and provide updates related to the future Irishtown Bend Park. Please take a look around, get a feel for the site, and make sure to subscribe to get all of the updates in the future. Additionally, you can subscribe to the ITB Park Project text line for updates by texting IrishtownBend to 216-242-4416.
Thank you in advance for helping us to design and build the Irishtown Bend Park.
