Photo Credit: CT Consultants, Inc.
A beloved park is given new life and energy by unifying fragmented components to better meet the needs of the community. “Public spaces should be seen as outdoor living rooms, a place for the community, families, and visitors to gather and enjoy the setting and each other’s company,” says Berea’s Mayor, Cyril Kleem. Even before being elected, Kleem had a vision for Coe Lake Park as an even more beautiful and functional community space.
The city of Berea, Ohio—a suburb of Cleveland—is recognized for its beautiful historic downtown and is home to Baldwin-Wallace University and the Cleveland Browns training facility. Coe Lake Park, nestled along a tranquil 20-acre lake created from a former sandstone quarry in the 1800s, is very popular with the community and is a regional destination for wedding and prom photos. The park is adjacent to the lakefront and features walking paths and fishing nodes on the area known as the Peninsula. The park’s central gathering space abuts a lakefront gazebo, a public swimming pool, and a lot that provides parking for the park and the adjacent city hall. Coe Lake Park is home to numerous community events, including the annual Grindstone Festival, the city’s major heritage celebration, with attractions, fireworks, and concerts on the Fourth of July. While iconic in the community, these various park components were developed over time in a haphazard fashion, and as a result, did not relate well to one another or function optimally for events.
In an effort to address functional needs as well as aesthetic desires as envisioned by Kleem, CT Consultants was retained to prepare a master plan to improve the functionality of this multi-use space, unify the various park areas, and relate the park to the existing parking lot, swimming pool, and gazebo. Integral to a successful outcome was ensuring that the various stakeholders of the city were included in the process through close collaboration in order to gain an understanding of long-term goals and expectations. By working closely with Kleem, City Engineer Tony Armagno, Economic Development Director Matt Madzy, and city Parks and Service Department staff members, a master plan was developed that is responsive to the community’s needs while also paying tribute to the city’s heritage.