The Cuyahoga Land Bank recently performed Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments on the Parmadale campus, former home to a mental-health services and community-based treatment center for youths and families in Parma. The assessments led the way for the sale of the land by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland to the Cleveland Metroparks and West Creek Conservancy, adding nearly 80 acres to the West Creek Reservation.
“The Parmadale project is unique, to say the least, as it is a true synthesis of conservation, recreation, restoration and reclamation,” says Derek Schafer, Executive Director of the West Creek Conservancy. “The 80-acre purchase is not only helping to expand West Creek Reservation to nearly 500 acres, but it’s also increasing access to the park for thousands of nearby residents, as well as schools.”
The assessments were funded through a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant awarded to the Cuyahoga Land Bank to assist with the assessment of environmental contamination in industrial, residential, and commercial sites. “We were able to use the EPA grant to assess the Parmadale acreage and multitude of abandoned buildings to make way for the significant transformation of this idle land into a vibrant green space for residents of Cuyahoga County,” says Gus Frangos, President and General Counsel for the Cuyahoga Land Bank.
A vacant, tax-foreclosed house on Park Drive, which abutted the property, was also demolished by the Cuyahoga Land Bank, making way for neighborhood access to the green space.
“The Cuyahoga County Land Bank was absolutely pivotal in helping to bring this all together, specifically with their participation, support, and coordination of the environmental assessments associated with the property,” says Schafer. “Projects such as Parmadale do not happen without the right partners at the table, such as the Cuyahoga Land Bank, Cleveland Metroparks and the City of Parma.”
via: An update of the happenings at Cuyahoga Land Bank – May 8, 2017