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Neighborhood asks city to partner on Ludlow school playground and field improvements
Summary
Residents urged council to support a broader playground and field-improvement plan at Ludlow, asking the city to partner with the school district, Shaker Schools Foundation and neighborhood groups; mayor said he had met with the superintendent and expects a near-term update.
A neighborhood delegation urged Shaker Heights City Council March 31 to support playground and field improvements at Ludlow School as the district builds an early learning center on site.
Kevin Dreyfus Wells, who said he lives at 3021 Ludlow Road, told council a coalition of 30 neighborhood and community signers requested city participation in a multi-party effort to expand play facilities and create amenities for older children and community gatherings. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity," Dreyfus Wells said, noting the nearby gap in playground and field access on the city's west side south of Van Aken.
Dreyfus Wells asked the city to join the school district, the Shaker Schools Foundation and neighborhood groups in funding and planning a playground and improved fields that would serve both school students and broader community recreation needs.
Mayor and staff response: The mayor reported he met with Superintendent Glasner earlier the same day and said discussions had been cooperative. The mayor said the school district's site design is near final and that the city stands ready to contribute on a partnership basis; he said staff had already begun investigating drainage issues on playing fields and that public works had identified probable causes and were evaluating options to address field ponding. "We are getting very close," the mayor said, and told neighbors he would have further detail "probably within a week or two" on final designs and potential city participation.
Why it matters: Improvements at Ludlow would expand recreational opportunities in a part of the city that residents said lacks nearby play facilities for older children and that currently requires families to cross busy roads to reach alternate parks. The school's planned early learning center is under construction; residents argued the broader site plan should include amenities that serve multiple ages and the wider neighborhood.
Next steps: The mayor and public works staff will continue design and drainage work with the district; the administration said it will provide an update to council and the public when final design costs and funding plans are available.
