Plans for a $1.2 million overhaul of Willowick's Lakefront Lodge include 50 new parking spaces, a gazebo, stormwater upgrades and land for what will become Lake County's first Gold Star Families Memorial Monument. The project, three years in the making, aims to fix a parking crunch that has long limited how many people can enjoy the small city's stretch of Lake Erie shoreline.
The Lakefront Lodge sits on land Willowick has leased from Lake Metroparks for about 20 years, and the city recently signed another 20-year lease to keep the arrangement going, according to Cleveland.com. Willowick Mayor Michael J. Vanni said the project is planned in partnership with Lake Metroparks, with the city's share focused squarely on adding parking near the west end of the property. Vanni described Lakefront Lodge as the smallest of Lake Metroparks' rental venues, but said it's frequently booked simply because it sits right on the lake.
That new parking is expected to unlock a wave of park improvements that Lake Metroparks will carry out once the added spaces are in place, including a new shelter, a flush restroom, walking trails, new swings and upgrades to the existing lodge building, per the same report. City officials believe the additional capacity should widen public access to the property and could also send more visitors toward Willowick's local businesses.
Funding Stitched Together From Five Sources
The $1.2 million price tag is being covered through a patchwork of public money. Lake Metroparks is contributing $300,000, the state has kicked in $200,000, and Lake County stormwater management added another $100,000, the outlet reports. Willowick is responsible for whatever costs remain once those contributions and additional funding are applied.
Lake County commissioners also approved $100,000 for the project through the county's Lakeshore Improvement Fund, a pot of money financed by the county's coastal bed tax rather than local property taxes, according to Cleveland.com. The Lake Development Authority reviewed and recommended the award before it went to commissioners for final approval.
A High Schooler's Idea Becomes Lake County's First Monument
Tucked into the site plan is the future home of the Woody Williams Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, which Mayor Vanni said will be the only monument of its kind in Lake County. Willowick is donating the land for the memorial, which will honor military members who died while serving the country. The idea didn't start at city hall — it began with Eastlake North High School student Owen Engle, who launched the campaign after visiting a similar memorial in Wapakoneta, Ohio, and went on to form a local committee, according to the Andy Nowacki Memorial Scholarship Fund. Engle partnered with Willowick officials and veterans' advocates to organize fundraising and plan the site.
The Woody Williams Foundation says a monument is planned in Willowick and invites the public to attend a dedication ceremony.
A Regional Pattern of Shoreline Investment
Hoodline reported in August that nearby Mentor's own major shoreline capital project, a $1.8 million, 101-foot observation tower at Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve, was set to open in the fall; the construction contract was $1,837,159. The project blended state natural resource grants with local funding in a similar multi-agency approach.
Lakefront Lodge is located at 30525 Lakeshore Boulevard.
