These Projects are Remaking Cleveland’s Lakefront

This article was published through an exclusive content-sharing agreement with neo-trans.blog.

Cleveland’s most ambitious lakefront proposals are still in the planning phases: a 450-acre park project that could take shape if Burke Lakefront Airport shuts down, and a 52-acre stadium site master plan, expected in October. But a handful of lakefront projects are already making waves.

In June, the Cleveland Metroparks’ Patrick S. Parker Community Sailing Center opened at 5555 North Marginal Rd. It marks the first community sailing center of its kind along Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline.

The facility’s main building includes two sailing simulators as well as both indoor and outdoor dining. The nearly 4,000-square-foot Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Boathouse, located further west on North Marginal, brings the total size of the complex close to 24,000 square feet.

The sailing center was built by the Whiting Turner Contracting Company. Consulting partners include Osborn Engineering, Terracon, and S&ME, with design work completed by Cleveland Metroparks Design Staff and HBM Architects.

Closer to Downtown at 751 Erieside Ave., the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is nearing completion on a $175 million expansion project. That includes a 50,000-square-foot addition with space for concerts, community programming, a student center and offices.

The new addition was designed by PAU, a New York City-based architectural firm, with Higley Construction of Cleveland serving as the project’s general contractor. The expanded Rock Hall, which recently acquired the Harbor Verandas, is set for completion later this year.

The list of lakefront upgrades doesn’t stop at new buildings. Also underway is the Metroparks’ Mandel Community Trail, including improvements to the existing Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway between East 55th Street and MLK Jr. Boulevard as well as the construction of the North Marginal Trail — a 2.7-mile western extension to Downtown.

The expanded walking and biking path will bolster lakefront mobility, creating a direct off-street connection between East 55th Street Marina, where the new sailing center is located, and East 9th Street in Downtown, across from the Rock Hall.

The Mandel Community Trail is planned for completion by Fall 2026, though portions of the extended trail are already paved and accessible. Independence Excavating is the project’s general contractor, while Michael Baker International is its consulting partner.

The far east end of the trail connects to Gordon Park, whose two halves are linked by a pedestrian bridge across Interstate 90. The southern portion of the park, previously managed by the City of Cleveland, was transferred to the Cleveland Metroparks in 2023.

Since then, Metroparks has begun work on $10 million in Phase 1 improvements, including the construction of a Great Lawn, playground, picnic pavilion, and overhauled parking and pedestrian paths.

Next Generation Construction is the project’s general contractor, while Osborn Engineering and design firms MKSK and Bialosky are consulting partners. Planning for the park was led by LAND Studio and SmithGroup. All are Cleveland-based companies.

Gordon Park is expected to reopen in Summer 2027, after Phase 1 work wraps up. Additional phases of improvements could follow based on available funding and would realize other aspects of the park’s master plan.

For more construction updates around Greater Cleveland, check out NEOtrans’ other Progress Pics articles.

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