Lighthouse Park — The Warehouse District

project background

Lighthouse Park is a project of the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation (HWDDC) in partnership with the Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA). Located along W 9th Street, near the corner of Main Avenue, this new public space will enliven the streetscape, commemorate the site’s history, and provide a new community asset. The idea of the park was born from the desire to celebrate the location of Cleveland’s original lighthouse and to enhance pedestrian connections between the Warehouse District and The Flats.

As HWDDC engaged with the stakeholders on this project, including an interactive public meeting, we were continually reminded about how important this park is to the community. People expressed how this will be a much needed place for people to simply relax outside with their dog and get fresh air. Other comments from residents and office workers included meeting friends for lunch, doing work, reading, people watching, and swinging.

Lighthouse Park will provide an important amenity to neighborhood residents, workers, and visitors that features landscaping, seating, bench swings, electrical hook up for device charging and programing, and a light bar feature element. The project also includes bike racks and crosswalk enhancements on Main Avenue at W. 9th and 10th Streets.

site history

In 1830, on the southwest corner of Main Avenue and Water (W. 9th) Street, a lighthouse was built for the United States Government by pioneer builder Levi Johnson at a cost of $8,000. It was the main lighthouse of Cleveland and stood 87 feet high and 150 feet above the level of the lake because it was located on the bluff. The beacon’s white light was visible for 19 miles.

It was used until another lighthouse was built at the end of the breakwater in 1892. In 1897, the original lighthouse tower was torn down, but the attached dwelling stood until the late 1930s when the Main Avenue Bridge was built. By the 1980s, all that remained was the stairs that once led up to the building. This architectural relic was restored and incorporated into the design of this park.

*Historic image of Cleveland’s original lighthouse*

construction overview

This project is managed by ODOT and is scheduled to celebrate its grand opening in August 2022. Funding comes from federal dollars through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Cleveland Foundation, Ohio & Erie Canalway Strategic Initiative Program, George Gund Foundation, private donations, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, and HWDDC. The City of Cleveland is the project sponsor.

View some in-progress construction photos of Lighthouse Park below, and we are excited to share this space with the community soon!