Construction is underway at Cleveland Metroparks’ Edgewater Beach. A new roundabout will reduce congestion entering and exiting the park. A beach house will open next summer. The new 2-story facility will have a concession stand, restrooms, along with "the best possible views of the sunset and the lake," says Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman.
Zimmerman says the reveal of the new beach house next summer coincides with the Metroparks’ centennial. He says that was just one reason why the project was delayed a year. "With the Shoreway being under construction and limited access during times, that was one component. Then the RNC was being positioned."
Zimmerman says construction crews are moving quickly, and Edgewater’s old beach house has already been removed from the property. The new building will also include a tunnel that connects to the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood.
On the east side of town, the pier at Euclid Beach will be demolished over the next couple of months, with plans for a new pier and a restored fountain in the works.
Although the pier will be removed soon, the rest of the reconstruction is still in its planning stages.
"We don’t have necessarily a definitive timeline yet, based on the fact that we are still working through some of the permit challenges that we will have to make this project come to fruition," said Zimmerman. The permitting process will involve the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Coast Guard, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
The Euclid Beach Park project, which includes improvements to Euclid Creek Reservation, totals $3.1 million dollars. the total cost of the Edgewater Beach plan will cost $4.3 million.
Zimmerman says the Metroparks continues to influence communities with projects underway in cities including Garfield Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, Broadview Heights, Brecksville, and North Royalton.
“We’re between 12 and 15 minutes from people’s front door," said Zimmerman.
"Our goal is to be under 10 minutes.”