CLEVELAND — If you love spending time along Lake Erie, by next summer, the plan is for you to have access to a brand-new trail on the east side, built on private land that’s being opened to the public.
It’s called the Euclid Beach Connector Project, an addition to the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway, which will be located between E. 151st Street and the Cleveland Metroparks Euclid Beach in Cleveland’s Collinwood neighborhood.
There’s no doubt about it—Lake Erie’s an economic and recreational anchor in Northeast Ohio.
"You can’t find a better place than having serenity like this,” said Michael Taylor Fullilove, who lives in Cleveland.
Angel Hill and her child, Legend, are regulars at Euclid Beach Park. She said it’s a good place to reset your mind and get exercise.
"The peace of the water and this area usually stays pretty clean, and I walk every day,” Hill said.
By the summer of 2027, Hill and everyone else will be able to walk, roll, and stroll on a new 0.6-mile trail in an area previously off-limits because it’s privately owned.
"This is about you,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, during a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday. “This is about you enjoying a better waterfront future.”
The plan has been years in the making.
"It will be a place where you’ll have scenic overlooks, enhanced green spaces with native plants… safe, accessible paddle craft entry points,” Ronayne said.
He said the $13 million project, funded through a mix of federal, state, and local dollars, will dramatically improve lakefront access and shoreline protection.
At the ceremony, Congresswoman Shontel Brown presented an $850,000 check she secured through Community Project Funding at the federal level.
Funding also came from the National Park Service Land and Conservation Fund, Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Nature Works Program, Ohio Department of Natural Resources Emergency Erosion Assistance Grant, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Ohio Lake Erie Commission Lake Erie Coastal Resilience Grant, City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.
"Take a quick moment of silence and just listen to the sounds around you,” Ronayne said to the crowd. “It’s a beautiful sound. Sound of waves on our shores. The sounds of birds in the air… sound of children over there.”
Ronayne stressed the partnerships it took to bring the project to life, which also included negotiating easements with homeowners to build a public trail.
In exchange, tax dollars will pay for bluff protection and other infrastructure to combat severe erosion.
"And we aim to keep the shoreline healthy and work in ways that it doesn’t erode under your properties but also creates environmental benefits,” Ronayne said, calling it a win for the public and the environment.
Yvonne Baker, who lives in Euclid, is excited about the possibilities. She’s a regular walker, along with her dog named Mason.
"Tax dollars at work. New jobs. Give old people something to do- I love it,” Baker said.
Hill, too, is excited to have the east side spotlighted for investment.
"We’ve been looking forward to something like that for years – ever since I was a little person. And I’m 57,” Hill said. “I mean, we used to go over to the west side because they had the better parks. So, it would be great to have something here.”
And that’s the end goal, leaders said they have in mind—to create easier access to the lake on this side of town, which Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said is important.
"Thirteen years ago, when the Metroparks took over Edgewater we saw what was possible in our city when you prioritize having lakefront access for all of our residents,” Bibb said. “This announcement is about connecting the lakefront to the east side of Cleveland, because for far too long it’s been redlined away from lakefront access.”
The mayor went on to say, “We believe in having a lakefront for all of Cleveland’s people.
Hill said she’ll be watching the progress closely.
"Oh, that’s going to be beautiful,” Hill said. “A lot of people are going to love it.”
Damon Maloney is a Cuyahoga County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @DMaloneyTV, on Facebook DamonMaloneyTV or email him at Damon.Maloney@wews.com.
