The Cleveland Metroparks will take over Villa Angela, Wildwood, Euclid Beach, Gordon Park, the East 55th Street Marina and Edgewater Park.
State Rep. Bill Patmon says the deal puts control of the parks in local hands -- and it also relieves the state of having to pay for upkeep.
Gov. Kasich acknowledges that state parks faced a backlog in maintenance jobs. But he says the state will give $14 million to the Metroparks to make long overdue upgrades on the land it now controls.
KASICH: “You start with those restroom facilities and make them clean. And you still have to have security in the parks. We have every reason to be optimistic. Things don’t happen overnight but clearly the infusion of cash here will allow them to have wide latitude to do some things that frankly should’ve been done over the last 35 years.”
Metroparks officials are still deciding what exactly to do with the money. But they say the spending will include hiring more people to clean and guard the parks.
Cleveland councilman Mike Polensek said he’s already seeing some changes here at Euclid Beach Park.
POLENSEK: ““The grass is getting cut. The picnic tables were painted. All the scrub and shrubbery...has been taken down and trimmed. You have rangers here. Think about that. Rangers. We’re told we’re going to have lifeguards on the lakefront...We didn’t have lifeguards here last year...This is all going to change.”
The city of Cleveland owns the parks. The Metroparks signed a 99-year lease to run them, and will pay the city $1 a year.
ideastream intern Sara Jerde contributed to this piece.
