- NEIGHBORS IN ACTION
- A proposal for turning the property at West 117th Street and Clifton Boulevard into park space has been presented.
With plans for the Shoppes on Clifton development raising eyebrows along the border of Cleveland and Lakewood, one local group offered an alternate proposal for the property.
According to Neighbors in Action, the community organization behind the park plans, the space “would be
a multifunctional green space positioned behind the current structure’s magnificent portico,envisioned to remain in place as the park’s focal feature.” The group points out that Shoppes on Clifton developer Carnegie Companies’ latest publicly available schematic has a void where the Fifth Church of Christ Scientist is now located – on the corner at West 117th Street and Lake Avenue. Group spokesman Jeon Francis notes that the church, vacant since 1989, has avoided demolition, though its future as a standing structure is still very much up in the air.
Neighbors in Action is working with Shaker Heights-based Bialosky & Partners Architects to sketch out the vision of the park space. The firm was involved with a 2002 effort to repurpose the church as a bookstore and cafe.
Current plans would include maintenance of the church’s portico, which would anchor the lot’s northeast corner at West 117th and Lake. Beyond the structure either tiered seating or a sloped lawn would extend into the parcel.
- NEIGHBORS IN ACTION
- Another option set forth would include tiered seating behind the church’s portico.
This article appears in May 8-14, 2013.
I really don’t think tearing it down is such a good idea…Yeah it’s in really rough shape but the stonework on the facade is still in really good condition…Lets not let it fall by the wayside like the movie theater that god ‘dozed in Lakewood for a Mcpuke…
I heard on the news that Casto had daughter in another state who tried to cut her baby’s throat. Can a DNA test be done on that baby to see if it matches the Fathers DNA? I would not put anything past that monster.
that church has been an eyesore for years its home to the homeless, it stinks like urine, and serves no purpose. A park? really.. so dog walkers can take their dogs there to poop and then not clean it up. edgewater park is down the street. tear it down. its a business district.. build businesses.
This would only work if the Shop Owners, EHA, City of Cleveland and Cleveland Police partner together to keep the park safe and clean. I agree with Harry–keep the dogs out! I am a dog owner myself, but too many people let their dogs poop along Lake Avenue and never clean it up. I would also worry about vandals marking up the place with graffiti and homeless folk or prostitutes hanging out. Sorry to say, but the Edgewater neighborhood is not what it used to be. Other than that, if the place could be properly patrolled 24/7, it could be a wonderful spot for neighborhood concerts and activities, perhaps boosting the quality of the neighborhood overall.
I personally think the plan they drew up looks pretty nice. If you can’t keep the church up, then at least keep a part of it as a nod to what once occupied that space. Sure, the people will probably trash the park and ruin it pretty quickly, but you can prolong how nice it looks if a group of citizens gets together to help maintain it.
This is a great opportunity to save a significant portion of this historic structure. The portico is beautiful and includes excellent stone carvings that are too expensive to duplicate in modern buildings. The park could be created relatively inexpensively since the City already owns the site and the existing portico is well preserved. Vandalism would not be a problem at this highly visible corner. The park would be an attractive Gateway to the Edgewater neighborhood and could be used for outdoor performances, a farmers market, and informal meeting area.