One of the most important decisions about the future of Cleveland's lakefront could take place in the coming weeks, as the City of Cleveland decides whether to close the 450-acre Burke Lakefront Airport or plan to improve it. Previous lakefront planning by the city had left the fate of the airport undecided. Mayor Frank Jackson now wants to settle the issue.
At an informational meeting today, airport consultants described a number of studies scheduled to be completed by October: a market assessment of the development potential of land around the airport, an assessment of Burke's role as a reliever airport in the regional air system, and an airport master plan update that will result in a 20-year development plan for airport improvements (assuming Burke continues as an airport).
Some key questions: Could Burke's flights be reallocated to other airports in the region? Is Burke playing its intended role as an amenity to promote the downtown corporate office market? Is it possible to develop other uses on Burke's land (much of which is a landfill)? Will aviation consultants be able to help the city create a vision for a 21st century lakefront?
Go here to see a special website on the Burke master plan. For more on possible options for Burke, see this 2002 study done for EcoCity Cleveland.
Lack of public lakefront access
curatorius Says:is one of the most glaring problems in Cleveland livability. It's embarrassingly anti-egalitarian to have so many miles of lakefront almost exclusively in private hands.
The 2002 EcoCity report cited about does point out, "[the Burke site is] not well connected to a residential neighborhood. Would it be used?" This just makes me think, could we develop a bit of residential housing on or near the Burke landfill penninsula to provide a constituency for the park, but statutorially mandate public access to the rest of the land?
open it and they will come
Susan Miller Says:I imagine a scene like this -- Stark, Wolstein, Zaremba and Corna falling over each other to get the development option. Hopefully they might leave the public more than a four foot sidewalk along the lakefront. But with Grendell's help a four foot sidewalk might be a blessing. It seems Grendell would encourage that they be able to own docks and piers right out into the Lake St. Joe Company style.
I grew up in Florida where water's edge issues are big dealings. Habitats are destroyed, inlets dredged, wildlife moved out and natural areas along the waterfront are cordoned off from the public daily. I am wary. We will need a strong visionary hand in the mix to insure public access to the lakefront should it become available. I have seen these things in play all my life. Cleveland seems on the verge of discussing public access to the water. This is good. Let's just hope that we will not build condos right up to the water's edge.
East Shore way planning?
Marc Lefkowitz Says:Obviously, keeping Burke in place is going to have a major impact on public lake shore access, and the city's Lakefront Plan. I asked Marty Cader at Cleveland City Planning, how Burke staying would impact the Lakefront Bikeway, and he replied:
"We really envisioned it as part of anEast Shore way process. It was thought that there would be East Shore way process – that (the multi-use path) would be redesigned just as it was in the West Shore way. There's been no funding or movement on that yet.
The Burke planning meeting was very quietly billed as an opening to the discussion of the future of the airport. What is the future meeting schedule for public participation?