LAKEWOOD, OHIO — Lake Erie has always been a major attraction of the Cleveland area, and Lakewood, a city right outside of downtown Cleveland, has plans to expand its popular Lakewood Park to make it more accessible to Lake Erie.

What You Need To Know

  • Lakewood Park is getting expanded

  • The expansion is set to include a new pier, cobblestone beach and more 

  • The project's goal is to make Lake Erie more accessible to the community

Alex Thorne, a Lakewood resident, expressed how important the park is to this city.

“Lakewood Park has always been a staple," she said. "The solstice steps have always been a staple."

Jason Stangland, the waterfront director of SmithGroup, which is in charge of the project, said the group began to look into this project more than one year ago. He explained what the plans for the park are.

“There’s a new pier that does go out along with a small cobble beach that is being created. And that cobble beach at least supports paddle craft access,” he said.

One of Lakewood Park’s biggest attractions is the solstice steps. The steps allow visitors to look at Lake Erie and get a view of the downtown Cleveland skyline. Stangland explained that part of the expansion will include adding onto the steps.

“There’s sort of a new overlook that we’re creating which could potentially support a bunch of different actives like small community gatherings and fishing and things like that,” he said.

Stangland said that when speaking to the community it was evident how many people wanted increased access to Lake Erie’s waterfront. This project will give it to them, he said.

Although the construction won’t start for up to three years, Thorne is excited for what it will mean for the community.

“Having a pier, having more things to do, is just going to benefit the community as a whole,” she said.