Metroparks Planning New Park On East Side Waterfront
Metroparks is developing a master plan for a new waterfront park on the east bank of the Maumee River, opposite downtown Toledo.
The first public meeting to begin planning the park was held June 21 at Waite High School. Two other public meetings will be held during the planning process.
In April, Metroparks announced that it would purchase the majority of the riverfront property known as the Marina District from ProMedica. At the same time, ProMedica announced plans to sell a portion of the land to Columbus-based Continental Real Estate Companies to develop housing and retail that will complement the park. ProMedica purchased the property last year, and held its own public meetings to obtain community input.
Metroparks has hired SmithGroupJJR to develop a master plan for the new park. The company created the master plan for Middlegrounds Metropark, now open downtown between Ottawa Street and the river.
At the public meeting, representatives of Metroparks and SmithGroupJJR heard suggestions from the public, answered questions and shared what they have learned from discussions with user groups, business leaders, local government officials and others.
The park, which has not yet been named, will be the sixth Metropark on the Maumee River. The park system leased property in 1930 from the state to establish its first park, Side Cut, in Maumee. Soon after, it added Farnsworth, Bend View and Providence, which are all connected by the Towpath Trail between Waterville and Providence Township. The newest Metropark, Middlegrounds, opened in September on the downtown Toledo riverfront.
All of the river parks and other sites along Ohio’s 108-mile stretch of the Maumee River will be part of a state-designated water trail currently pending approval by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Information Presented at the first meeting
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Putting Our Best Parks Forward
Editorial by Executive Director Dave Zenk