PARMA, Ohio — Eyesore no more!
West Creek Veterans Basin in Parma's Veterans Memorial Park is officially open to the public. Crews recently overhauled the space and have officially completed work on the project.
Officials with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District say it is both aesthetically pleasing and will prevent flooding to homes in the area. Residents are hopeful. Officials say it should bring tremendous relief for generations to come.
"I've been here 76 years in this park," Lawrence Runkowski of Parma said.
The history runs deep for Lawrence Runkowski.
The longtime Parma resident grew up in the area and now walks Veterans Memorial Park off of State Road daily with his pup "Flash."
But he can't deny his disdain for one particular, former site in the park.
"It looked like hell," Runkowski said.
He absolutely loathed the old, concrete-encased, previously overgrown Veterans Memorial Basin. Affectionately dubbed "the swamp" by many, its functionality wasn't exactly great either.
"They were constantly flooding down there. And they built the homes and they were all flooding," Runkowski said.
"That drain was always plugging up there and all that. So, I assume they came up with a better idea now," Arkadij Prodan previously told News 5.
The years of property damage, basement flooding and homeowner stress are finally over.
"I am absolutely thrilled! I think the basin looks absolutely fabulous. A big beautiful basin," Nicole Velez, Water Shed Team Leader with Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, said.
Velez showed News 5 a first look at the overhauled, upgraded and now completed $4.1 million West Creek Veterans Basin Project.
The end result is plenty of native vegetation and green space, a large walking trail that goes all the way around it, new overhead lights and signage.
Its design is similar to the recently completed Upper Ridgewood Basin by the Shoppes at Parma—just down the road.
But its functionality is what Velez is most proud of.
WATCH:
RELATED: Parma's Upper Ridgewood Basin officially completed
"The basin is going to essentially capture the stormwater flow.
It'll be able to hold over 15 million gallons of storm water," Nicole Velez, Water Shed Team Leader with NEORSD, said.
Crews spent the last couple of months converting the old basin and expanding it on both sides into a dry detention basin so it could hold MORE storm water.
"These inlets pull storm water from the local community and will fill up this basin," Velez said.
Velez says it's the relief Parma residents have been longing for—especially after major rain and storm events have kept them on edge for years.
"We're trying to capture as much storm water as absolutely possible to help alleviate it from the downstream neighborhood," Velez said.
While change can be challenging for everyone, Lawrence is cautiously optimistic.
And well, he can't deny the end result.
"It looks nice," Runkowski said.
"Basins have had this little of a negative connotation and it's unfortunate. If they're designed correctly, they can really serve an important purpose," Velez said.
The project was completed early thanks to good weather. Officials say it wasn't even supposed to be finished until the Spring of 2026. It was paid for through the Storm Water Management Program.
The Sewer District will maintain everything inside the basin. They will inspect it regularly and after every major rain event. Parma crews will handle the maintenance outside of the basin.
Native vegetation will take about two growing seasons to establish.
The City of Parma will be adding benches and other site amenities in the Spring of 2026.
