Michael J. Zone Recreation Center has the potential to be much more than an aging facility connected to a vast stretch of mown lawn on Cleveland’s Near West side.

For the past five years, Ward councilman Matt Zone, a group of residents and visionaries worked on a plan to transform Zone Rec — located in the EcoVillage neighborhood — into a national demonstration of how an urban park can best contribute to sustainable living.

Just one of the innovative ideas of the Zone Rec Greenspace Plan is a biofiltration swale to capture stormwater running off the roof and parking lot. The swale keeps stormwater on site and filters it into a natural landscape of wetlands, meadows and lowland woods dotted with paths and boardwalks.

The plan recently won the American Society of Landscape Architects Ohio Chapter Honor Award, the highest recognition given by the chapter to a project every year. ASLA recognized it as “a balanced solution to the divergent needs of the community.”

Now the groups shepherding the Zone Rec plan are tasked with finding funding to make this urban park a reality. Share your ideas on the design and opportunities.