A restaurant once promised as part of Cleveland’s ambitious Irishtown Bend redevelopment is no longer in the plans, leaving a major public park project without one of its most anticipated amenities. Under a revised agreement, developer Tony George will receive two additional Cleveland billboard spaces instead of a 10-year restaurant lease. The change also closes another expensive chapter in the fight over the Ohio City property needed for the park.
The revised deal followed months of negotiations involving the city, Cleveland Metroparks and Ohio City Inc., according to Signal Cleveland. City officials said a restaurant at the hillside location would be extremely challenging to build, while George told the outlet that he was satisfied with the outcome.
The original 2023 settlement called for public entities to pay George $1.25 million, provide three replacement billboards and build a 3,000-square-foot restaurant with a 17,000-square-foot patio. The restaurant and patio would have been leased to George and his son, Bobby, for 10 years, as News 5 Cleveland previously reported.
The restaurant concept never got far enough to produce a final design or construction budget. Signal Cleveland reported that some discussions placed construction costs at $8 million or more, while Metroparks said no restaurant design had been started and no final estimate was completed. The decision comes after the Port of Cleveland completed the roughly $65 million hillside stabilization project in February.
Irishtown Bend Park Still Targets 2029
The restaurant’s removal does not stop the broader redevelopment. Cleveland Metroparks says Irishtown Bend will become a 25-acre public park, with the final section of the Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail under construction and the park’s first construction phase expected to run from 2027 through early 2029, according to the Metroparks project page.
The park already has significant outside backing, including a $10.8 million federal grant for features such as an amphitheater, overlooks, picnic areas, play spaces and a boardwalk, as Hoodline previously reported. Cleveland City Council also approved agreements allowing Metroparks to develop, operate and maintain the park and trail for up to 99 years, according to city legislation.
A Long Legal Fight Finally Gives Way
The property at West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue became the centerpiece of a legal battle after the Port of Cleveland and its partners sought to acquire it through eminent domain. In a 2023 statement, the Port of Cleveland said its own settlement contribution was capped at $360,000 and that the agreement would clear the way for stabilization work.
With the restaurant removed, the corner will instead be preserved for future opportunities that better fit the park’s long-term community vision. The hillside is stabilized, the trail work is moving and the park remains on track—but the promised place for a post-hike meal is now a question for a future deal.
