Euclid is moving ahead with three major infrastructure projects after landing $900,000 in state capital budget funding, city officials say, with the money earmarked for Sims Park, the Euclid Heritage Trail and Memorial Pool. The awards mark a significant boost for a city that has spent the past year pushing to modernize its most-used recreational spaces and pedestrian routes.
According to Cleveland.com, Euclid received three separate state capital budget awards that officials worked to secure through Ohio's competitive capital budget process, partnering with state lawmakers and grant partners to submit the proposals. Mayor Kristen Holzheimer Gail announced the awards at a recent townhall meeting, telling attendees, “We were so fortunate to get three different awards.” Separately, the News-Herald reported that the city was recently awarded $900,000 in capital funding to be used across the three projects, though the exact breakdown of how that total splits among the projects has not been independently verified.
Sims Park Has Playground Funding and a Broader Plan
Sims Park Reimagined received $700,000 in state capital funding, the largest identified award, according to the Cleveland.com account. The project includes replacing the aging playground, parts of which the city has closed. Plans call for nature-based play features and materials suited to the lakefront setting.
The mayor has said the playground project is also expected to receive a $500,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant. With other investment, that would bring more than $1.2 million toward the playground effort, Cleveland.com reported. The figure is not clearly reconciled with an Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant of upwards of $500,000 tied to Sims Park Reimagined, which the News-Herald reported after a Nov. 3, 2025, city council meeting. The report said the first phase of park updates at 23131 Lakeshore Blvd. was getting underway. The News-Herald has described Sims Park as the city's most-used park.
The city’s wider Sims Park Reimagined effort followed public planning for the park’s future and investments in its lakefront trail, fishing pier, accessible walkways, Henn Mansion restoration and disc golf course, according to Cleveland.com. The City of Euclid says the Sims Park Master Plan was developed through seven months of public planning, including open houses in November 2024 and February 2025 and an online survey that received 687 responses. Council approved the plan at its June 16 meeting.
The Heritage Trail Is Proposed; Nearby Greenway Work Is Separate
The proposed Euclid Heritage Trail would improve pedestrian access on the city's south side. Cleveland.com describes a roughly one-mile route along Euphemia Avenue, connecting Euclid Creek Metropark and Hero Park, with a 10-foot-wide off-road path intended for multiple users, including people with mobility challenges.
Holzheimer Gail has said the city wants the south-side route to have the vitality of the lakefront trail. A city planning document describes transforming roughly 4,500 feet of existing 5-foot sidewalk along the southern side of Euclid Avenue, but does not establish the full route or final cost. The News-Herald previously reported that the nearly one-mile Heritage Trail was awaiting grant funding.
How the Trail Fits the Wider Network
The proposed Heritage Trail is distinct from Cleveland Metroparks’ Euclid Creek Greenway: Cleveland Metroparks says the greenway’s first two phases opened Nov. 6, 2023, and construction funding is secured for a third phase from Chardon Road to St. Clair Avenue, slated to begin in 2026. Separately, the City of Euclid’s active transportation planning process sets a broader goal of a safe, connected network for non-vehicular travel and links among city assets; that planning goal does not confirm that the proposed Heritage Trail is built or part of a completed connection.
Memorial Pool's Future Still Under Evaluation
The state award for Memorial Pool is for evaluating the facility’s long-term future, not a specified construction project. The pool is about 50 years old and may require major improvements or replacement, according to Cleveland.com. The city has completed work on the clubhouse, locker rooms and restrooms; officials say they will assess what further investment the facility needs.
Pool-house spending has proceeded through separate city actions. In a June 2026 report, the News-Herald said council approved an ordinance for pool-house improvements and the city had approved up to $750,000 in issued bonds for the renovation. The News-Herald later reported that council voted to spend up to $1,175,000 on pool-house upgrades, renovations and repairs. They are distinct from the newly announced state award for evaluating the pool's future.
City Officials Praise the Awards; Project Details Remain Distinct
State Rep. Eric Synenberg praised the city’s success in securing funding through a competitive process, telling town hall attendees that Euclid was “punching above its weight.”
The funding fits into a larger statewide pattern. Ohio's capital budget process distributes capital dollars among municipalities and nonprofit organizations across the state, and the state's budget director has described the broader Fiscal Years 2025-2026 capital budget and related one-time investments as representing the largest support for Ohio facilities and local community infrastructure in history, according to a statement from governor.ohio.gov. For Euclid, that statewide push has translated into concrete plans for a renewed playground, a safer south-side trail and a long look at what comes next for a half-century-old community pool.
