IRISHTOWN BEND PARK By the Numbers

Irishtown Bend Park will be a park unlike any we have ever seen before. With its unique location, its community-driven riverfront design, and its adjacent, dynamic neighborhoods, there is a lot to say — and learn — about this Park. Let’s discover this Park by the numbers: including a two-acre event lawn, a half-mile riverside boardwalk, and an urban farm.

1,000 new and mature trees are planned in and along Irishtown Bend Park.

Ths Park offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity and provides a safe, welcoming space for residents to enjoy.

This Park will help move Cleveland from 6% parks and open space towards its goal of 15% —the median for cities in the United States

Irishtown Bend Park will be the missing link connecting the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail to Lake Erie.

● The Irishtown Bend Park project is a collaborative effort of public, civic non-profit, and private partners.

● Local, state, and federal agencies have committed $53 million for hillside stabilization.

● The Mandel Foundation is assisting Irishtown Bend Park through a challenge grant of $5 million to support park implementation and incentivize additional philanthropy.

● The Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency (NOACA) contributed $3.3 million to support multi-purpose trails within Irishtown Bend Park as part of Ohio’s Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Program.

● The George Gund Foundation granted $3 million to Irishtown Bend Park in support of early park planning and project implementation.

The stabilization of the hillside will ensure the shipping channel along the Cuyahoga River remains open to connect businesses with the supply chain, protecting the $3.5 billion local maritime economy.

The state also provided $1.4 million in Clean Ohio Funds to LAND studio for the acquisition and demolition of vacant buildings along West 25th Street, which borders the Park to the northwest.

The neighborhood surrounding Irishtown Bend Park has more than $500 million in private investment within seven blocks of the site.

There are almost 2,000 new residential units completed or under construction since 2014*

Ohio City’s population includes more than 10,000 residents*

Nearly 2,000 Ohio City residents live in public housing†

Downtown

Cleveland is home to 20,000

There were 1.8 million riders on the RTA’s MetroHealth Line in 2021§

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Nurturing Equity

Irishtown Bend Park prioritizes equity through diversity, accessibility, and inclusion. This Park will be the new backyard for residents of local Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority apartments. The Irishtown Bend Park project elevates community engagement, collaboration, and equity considerations. People who are often excluded from development projects played key roles in shaping the design and use of this Park.

Nurturing Connections

Irishtown Bend Park is a connector: of trails, of people, and of neighborhoods. This Park will be the final link in several regional trails. It will connect Downtown Cleveland with the city’s neighborhoods. It will encourage residents with diverse backgrounds and abilities to come together and enjoy a mutually beneficial green space where nature and industry co-exist.

Nurturing Our Natural Environment

Irishtown Bend Park provides local residents with more dedicated green space, enhanced tree canopy, and a river that is closer to its natural state. This Park will support the inclusion of native plant species that contribute to climate resiliency, tree cover, and wetland retention— and will provide a safe, welcoming space for residents to enjoy the health and wellness benefits of outdoor activity.

Nurturing A Community Asset

Irishtown Bend Park is a premier example of how a community asset can bridge racial and economic divides — while adding long-term beauty and value to the community. Irishtown Bend Park will provide an opportunity to spur equitable economic development, elevating Northeast Ohio, the city of Cleveland and, most of all, Cleveland’s neighborhoods, through a collaborative, neighborhood-first process. When complete, this Park will provide significant benefit to local residents, local businesses, visitors, and industry.

Nurturing Our Legacy

Irishtown Bend Park benefits our collective future by helping Northeast Ohioans better understand local history. Irishtown Bend is an important part of Cleveland’s past and development, from the earliest Indigenous inhabitants to the Irish settlers of the 1800s, and the residents of some of the first public housing developments in the United States. Designed by the community and providing access to the Cuyahoga River, Cleveland’s neighborhoods, Lake Erie, and several regional trails — Irishtown Bend Park will now be a critical piece of the site’s story.

As a foundation, we look for projects that lift communities and address pressing racial and social justice needs.

Irishtown Bend Park is an outstanding example of such a project. It’s righting a historical wrong created by the decision to locate a highway through the neighborhood, disconnecting residents from the waterfront and downtown Cleveland. The entire process has shown deep respect for the community and will result in a spectacular asset for generations to come.

— John Mitterholzer Program Director — Climate and Justice, The Gund Foundation