CLEVELAND, OH -- A dedication ceremony for newly renovated Edgewater Park and its boat launch area near downtown Cleveland is set for 11 a.m. on June 28, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Edgewater Park, a unit of Cleveland Lakefront State Park, has undergone $3.1 million in improvements since last August.
"More than four million visitors come to Edgewater Park each year, making this facility one of the most popular in our state park system," said ODNR Director Sam Speck. "These improvements will enhance the park's traditional appeal to visitors and add to its safety and convenience for boaters."
As part of the improvements, the historic Upper Edgewater Pavilion was repaired and painted. New sewers, restrooms and drinking fountains were installed. New equipment was also added to the playground area near the pavilion. Improvements to the multiple use path connecting the upper and lower portions of the park were completed in the spring.
More than $1,000,000 in improvements were made to the Lower Edgewater Boat Launch Ramp. Those improvements include installation of eight new launch lanes with state-of-the-art traction grooves, floating courtesy and launch lane docks, and a fixed concrete pier for late fall and early spring boating. Improved lighting was installed in the boat launch area to enhance nighttime safety. Obstructions within the harbor basin were removed and the area adjacent to the launch lanes was dredged. The newly reconstructed boat ramps opened on Memorial Day weekend.
The boating access project was made possible through $496,000 in funding from a NatureWorks grant administered by the ODNR Division of Watercraft. The remaining costs of the Edgewater Park renovation project were provided by the ODNR Division of Parks & Recreation.
Cleveland Lakefront State Park, one of 73 state parks administered by ODNR, recently received the agency's Most-Improved Park of the Year Award based on customer satisfaction surveys.