VisionQuest
Phase 3: 6th City Park

I'm not going to lie. This phase is based on a lot of “ifs” and “buts”. Unlike the past, I actually feel optimistic about this. Because of the Flats East Bank, I think Phase #3 has a great shot of getting done. If Pekar Ports are constructed and major shipping ceases on the Cuyahoga. But only if the people of Cleveland really step-up and help make this decision too.

Everything inside River Road and Mulberry stretching to the riverbank gets demolished. Only residencies, the Nautica Pavilion, and the Powerhouse should be allowed to stay. This new area will be the identifying symbol to Clevelanders and the world there is a new Cleveland. This area will be a park. But not just any park. It will be “Sixth City Park”.

Before I get into the details I want to discuss the name, 6th City Park. The name has history and attitude. The name and location of Sixth City Park instantly says something about Cleveland to outsiders. It says we know what we were and we're not stopping until the world knows us as that again.

Everything American today has a “new retro” feel to it. This is Cleveland's wheelhouse. We couldn't have picked a better time in American history to rebuild. I've said it once and I'll say it again. Cleveland looks like an i-Pod deck attached to a record player.

Sixth City Park is the final piece of the downtown revitalization puzzle. It just fits alongside the Warehouse District, Flats East Bank, and Pekar Ports.

As far as the park itself goes, there couldn't be a better location. On the banks of the Cuyahoga with Cleveland's historic Blue Bridge providing a one of a kind city feel. It will be the first thing people see entering the city and the last thing if they can resist leaving.

For its design let's look at Grant Park in Chicago for inspiration. Notice how the trees act like borders for green areas. This is vital. The architects who designed Grant Park in the 1800's couldn't have known they built the perfect festival venue. Luckily they did so we can steal it.

Everything from city festivals like 4th of July fireworks and the Taste of Chicago to major music festivals such as Lollapalooza are easily accommodated at Grant Park. Now Grant Park is huge; 319 acres huge. The lot for Sixth City Park at best is 70 - 90 acres. But that's okay. Most festivals list the location as Grant Park. They really occur in an area known as Millennium Park which is only 25 acres.

So there is more than enough room in Sixth City Park to host festivals. There's even room to put in a museum/aquarium. On top of the area needed for a couple baseball fields and tennis courts.

Think about the venues Cleveland will have if there are pedestrian bridges linking Whisky Island, Sixth City Park, Flats East Bank, Warehouse District, and Pekar Ports together.

How many art and music festivals will Cleveland have to turn down simply because there aren't any open dates? What excuse will NYC executives have now as to why the Rock Hall induction ceremonies shouldn't be in Cleveland every year? Who's going to say, “I don't want to live in Cleveland.”

I know these projects will cost millions to complete and realistically this is just the beginning. The area in between Merwin Ave and Stones Levee still needs to be discussed. I don't know where the money will come from either. But these are minor details. We can find investors just like Toronto did. There's plenty of evidence to show every million put into a Waterfront comes with a return of 10 million.

Now is the time to focus on developing these projects so people have a reason to become investors. Our goal should be to have set plans together no later than March with construction starting by the end of summer 2010.

The completion time of the projects I've discussed for Cleveland's Waterfront should take no longer than 7 years. If Canadians can have a Waterfront operational in 8 years there's no reason why Clevelanders can't do it in 7 years. But we got to start something first.

Our goal for the river should be simple. Don't stop until it's clean enough to transform Cleveland into a mini Venice. Gondoliers and water taxis taking people to different districts downtown along the Cuyahoga; end of story. No timetable needed for this. Give me one reason why this one thing shouldn't be done as quickly as possible.

I want this Waterfront more than anything because I want to enjoy. I want other Clevelanders and tourists to enjoy it. Who's going to be the one to step up in Cleveland? I'm trying. But I'm just a guy with a vision and no pull in the city. But for whoever steps up, you got a follower who doesn't mind working for free. All I want is for this to happen now.

I'll wrap it up with this. We don't have 15 or 20 years to slowly create a Waterfront. There's no reason to wait. I can't describe why there is no reason to because I would just be stealing the words out of Harvey Pekar's mouth, “When you're dead it robs life of many pleasures.”

Read the complet SixthCITY series by Jeff Biasella here?

by Cool Cleveland correspondent Jeff Biasella, a 24 year old creative writing/popular culture graduate of Bowling Green State University living the post-grad dream in the Warehouse District.
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