On March 12, 2010 the NOACA Governing Board approved the following regarding this project: Resolution No. 2010-008 Project Planning Review Resolution No. 2010-009 Plan and TIP Amendment. Title: Construct Greenway Corridor in the Flats Neighborhood in Cleveland Sponsor: Cuyahoga County Engineer Estimated Total Cost: $12,338,098 (Right-of-Way and Construction) Proposed Source of Federal Funds: Various History/Background: This project is the result of a planning study, Flats Connection Plan, commissioned by Building Cleveland by Design Cuyahoga County Greenprint. “The Ohio Canal Corridor displayed plans for Canal Basin Park at a public meeting on March 11. The vision is for a 21-acre park and trail system under the Detroit-Superior Bridge where the river bends to form a thumb of land. The park will mark the triumphant completion of the 100-mile Towpath Trail from Akron to Cleveland. The final leg into the Flats may be years off, but the plan is for the trail to ascend from the hardscrabble Scranton Peninsula over the Cuyahoga River on the blue-beamed Carter Road lift bridge which will lead to a flat, riverbed landscape of native prairie grasses and paths tread by scullers, cyclists and the lunch crowd walking to the Flat Iron”, according to Marc Lefkowitz, GreenCityBlueLake. The Lake Link Trail will connect the Towpath Trail at its southern end to a proposed new bridge over the Norfolk-Southern railroad to Wendy Park, the natural area of Whiskey Island on the northern end. According to the sponsor, the Lake Link Trail project (an example of converting old infrastructure-rusted freight lines and ill-used parking lots-into recreational and green spaces) is a reinvention of the Cleveland Flats, using a former Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad bed where an old rail line is buried that will become a 1.3 mile trail and parkway. According to the sponsor, the proposed Lake Link Trail and Greenway Project and other proposed projects will connect existing neighborhoods and spur development in Cleveland by using the latest in green infrastructure techniques. Further, this Lake Link Trail will connect with the future Towpath Trail. Further, it will connect Flats and Tremont residents with Whiskey Island and Lake Erie. Other projects related to the Lake Link Trail project include pedestrian and bicycle improvements: right-of-way in a portion of the Flats (CUY MAIN AVE LINEAR PARK); the Willow Street Bridge; and the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge from the base of the Willow Street bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks to Whiskey Island (i.e. CUY LAKEFRONT CONNECTOR BRIDGE). The sponsor is working in partnership with Cleveland by Design (a joint program of ParkWorks and Cleveland Public Art), Wendy Park Foundation and The K & D Group (which owns and manages high, moderate and lower income properties) on these projects in the Flats. The sponsor reports other partners include Cuyahoga County, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), City of Cleveland Councilmen Matt Zone and Joe Cimperman, Flats Oxbow Association, Cleveland Metroparks and Trust for Public Land. The group has raised funds to purchase the 1.3 mile former railroad bed, to design improvements to the Willow Street Bridge and to design and engineer a new bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. ParkWorks has obtained a $1,300,000 grant from the Clean Ohio Fund to acquire a portion of the railway and has been granted an easement worth $2,100,000 to the remainder. Proposed Project: The proposed project involves constructing a 1.2 mile greenway corridor along abandoned railroad right-of-way (RW) in the Flats neighborhood, from approximately Irishtown Bend to Main Avenue, underneath the Main Avenue Bridge, in Cleveland. The proposed trail would begin south of the rail line where the West Bank wraps around Irishtown Bend – near Hooples River Bed Café and Columbus Road, where, according to the sponsor, the trail will serve a dual purpose: connecting to (and extending) the Towpath Trail to the lakefront and stabilizing a crumbling section of Riverbed Street with a “bio-engineered” riverbank. A new tree-lined bike trail will hug the river and thread below the white granite arch of the Detroit-Superior Bridge. By connecting to the Towpath Trail, crossing the Willow Street Bridge and connecting to a proposed new pedestrian bridge (CUY LAKEFRONT CONNECTOR), the Lake Link Trail will serve as the final link in the Ohio (River) to (Lake) Erie Trail. The sponsor reports the trail will connect with the new West Shoreway bicycle trail, supplementing and adding value to an already funded highway improvement project. The sponsor also asserts that the trail will address a critical section of forgotten urban infrastructure by creating a safe off-road pedestrian/cyclist recreational trail that is also designed to retain and treat urban stormwater and support biodiversity within a heavily urbanized setting. The NEORSD is a project partner and will be using this project as an innovative stormwater management pilot. Additionally, the project will address lack of greenspace and access to the lake by residents of Ohio City, Tremont, and CMHA's (Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority) Lakeview Terrace and Riverview Tower. According to the sponsor, the K&D Group has stated that it will not invest in additional Stonebridge buildings until there is access to green space in the neighborhood. The sponsor reports that a Phase I environmental assessment is underway. The estimated total cost, provided by the sponsor, is $12,338,098. The estimated cost of right-of-way (RW), provided by the sponsor, is $4,000,000. The sponsor reports that ParkWorks has obtained a $1,300,000 grant from the Clean Ohio Fund to acquire a portion of the railway and has been granted an easement worth $2,100,000 to the remainder. The estimated cost of construction is $8,338,098. Up to eighty percent ($6,670,478) can be funded with NOACA controlled funds. The sponsor has applied to other agencies for federal and state funding. The sponsor will provide the non-federal share ($1,667,620) of the construction, which may include City of Cleveland, State of Ohio, and philanthropic support and private sector contributions. The sponsor estimates that construction could begin by March 2012 and that the facility could be open for public use by August 2012. Staff Comment (Summary): Plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Team: This project is consistent with NOACA’s Connections 2030 Goals #3 (Preserve and Improve the Efficiency of the Transportation System), #4 (Establish Balance System which Enhances Modal Choices), #7 (Reinvestment in the Urban Core), #8 (Foster Intergovernmental and Private Sector Relationships to Strengthen Regional Community) and # 10 (Quality of Life through Attention to Aesthetics in Planning) and ODOT’s Access Ohio 2004 - 2030 Goals #1 (Transportation Safety), #2 (Economic Development and the Quality of Life) and #4 (System Preservation). The Lake Link Trail project must be closely coordinated with any plans to stabilize the slope of Riverbed Road along Irishtown Bend, which is reported to be slumping into the Cuyahoga River. Based on the $4,000,000 RW estimate, provided by the sponsor, possibly $600,000 in RW funding is undetermined. The proposed project is eligible for NOACA-attributable STP and E/STP-M funds. It may also be eligible for CMAQ funds. The appropriate funding source will be determined by the Regional Transportation Investment Subcommittee. Recommend committee and public review in order to obtain comments. Intergovernmental Review and Consultation (IGRC): If you are a representative of a governmental entity and would like to comment on this project, please email us. Public Involvement: NOACA encourages comments from the public on this proposed transportation improvement project. Please notify us if you would like to be added to our e-mail notification list for future updates. Committee Review: Regional Transportation Investment Subcommittee (RTIS)/Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC): No comments; recommended for amendment to NOACA's Transportation Plan and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).