Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Active Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves project development agreement with Cleveland Metroparks for four trail projects after funding clarifications
Summary
The committee approved an agreement with Cleveland Metroparks enabling design and construction on four trail projects funded largely by a federal RAISE grant; committee amendments removed an ARPA fund reference and limited use of unspecified future bond proceeds.
The Municipal Services and Properties Committee approved an ordinance authorizing the director of Capital Projects to enter a project development agreement with the Board of Park Commissioners of Cleveland Metroparks to design and construct four trail projects inside Cleveland, and to allow Metroparks to apply for and accept grants and gifts and to acquire needed property. The projects are the Slavic Village Downtown Connector (North), the Morgana Run / Booth Avenue extension, the Opportunity Corridor Connector, and the Euclid Creek Greenway extension. Committee members passed Ordinance No. 496‑2025 as amended.
Capital Projects staff and Cleveland Metroparks staff said the four projects were developed through a RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) federal planning and construction award process. Metroparks and the city received a RAISE construction award of $19,500,000 (construction grant) after an earlier RAISE planning grant of $950,000. Staff said the city’s contribution toward the projects is $315,000; Cleveland Metroparks and the federal grants provide the remaining funds. The administration said the $315,000 represents previously committed funds in the capital improvement plan and includes Road and Bridge bond proceeds and other pledged match amounts; the Euclid Creek Greenway design work previously had a $500,000 ARPA allocation from May 2023 for final design.
During debate councilmembers pressed staff to clarify funding sources and whether ARPA recovery funds (identified as fund 10SF400 in committee discussion) were being used in addition to bond proceeds. Councilman Brian Casey moved an amendment to strike the 10SF400 ARPA reference from section 7; the amendment was seconded and approved. Councilmember Kevin Bishop subsequently proposed, and the committee approved, a further amendment to limit referenced bond proceeds to those “issued for this purpose only” and to remove language allowing “any other funds approved by the director of finance.” Committee members said the changes ensure the ordinance relies on specific bond proceeds already budgeted rather than an open authorization to use unspecified funds.
Metroparks project manager Sarah Meyer and City Complete and Green Streets coordinator Phil Kidd presented route maps and schedules. Staff said the Morgana Run and Slavic Village connector segments are scheduled for final engineering this summer with bidding anticipated in the fall and construction beginning in spring 2026 on the sections that received the $19.5 million construction award. The Euclid Creek Greenway has separate funding for an initial construction segment up to St. Clair Avenue and a previously authorized $500,000 design allocation; staff said the $500,000 had not yet been spent and remains dedicated to Euclid Creek design work. Sarah Meyer described technical elements of the trails: standard 10‑foot‑wide asphalt multipurpose paths with two‑foot shoulders, typical construction timelines of two construction seasons for the RAISE construction segments, and coordination with railroad and other agencies for the Opportunity Corridor Connector.
Committee members asked for a clearer accounting of fund sources; staff agreed to provide project funding details. The ordinance passed as amended; committee members were asked to sign.
