From Landfill to Landmark

A healing of land and people.

Brighton Park, formerly the Henninger Landfill, was a construction and demolition debris landfill in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland that ceased operation in the 1980s. Western Reserve Land Conservancy is pleased to have had the opportunity to facilitate the development of this property into a public greenspace amenity, for enjoyment by Old Brooklyn residents and visitors alike.

A community space, more than 10 years in the making.

The vision of turning this brownfield site into an open green space for public recreation has long been held and shared by the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, the Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation and other community partners. Since Western Reserve Land Conservancy acquired the property in 2015 through funding from the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program, extensive environmental remediation has been completed to ensure that this retired landfill would be safe for recreational use. Additional funding has since been secured for passive park improvements and native plantings to restore the natural environment at this site.

The History of Brighton Park

Pre 1948

Property used for various industrial purposes

~1948 – 1976

Property used for disposal of fill from the construction of Interstate I-71 and disposal of foundry sand from the Ford Motor Foundry, among other materials

1976-1987

Property operated as a construction and demolition debris landfill

1980’s – 1990’s

Cuffari’s Go Kart operated on western portion of the property

~1999

Debris deposits continued on parts of the site including from the demolition of Municipal Stadium

2006

Property identified as key acquisition for public open space by the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metroparks, and Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation among other project partners

2008

Property designated as public greenspace in the Lower Big Creek Greenway Redevelopment and Restoration Plan, as an important potential linkage from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo to the Towpath Trail

2015

WRLC becomes involved in the Property at the request of a neighbor and Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation. Read more here.

2017

Remediation on the site completed. Assessments and remediation work made possible by brownfield and technical assistance funding from Cuyahoga County, Ohio EPA and US EPA (drone video)

2019-2020

Funding secured for the construction of trail and passive park improvements on the Property, as well as environmental restoration of the site through Ohio Public Works Commission’s Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program, Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s Recreational Trail Program, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Sustain Our Great Lakes program, Cuyahoga County’s Supplemental Grant Program, as well as the Kent H. Smith Charitable Trust, Bank of America, the Cleveland Foundation, Freshwater Future, the John P. Murphy Foundation, the Sears-Swetland Family Foundation, and the Howmet Aerospace Foundation.

August 2020

Groundbreaking on trail construction and park improvements

June 2021

Completion and opening of Brighton Park!

The 25-acre park includes an all-purpose trail that will run through the property from Pearl Road to West 21st Street, connecting on the Pearl Road side to the existing trail through Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and Brookside Reservation. A natural surface trail has also been designed to meander through the northern portion property, with connections to both the neighborhood and the all-purpose trail. These trails are part of a broader vision to create greater pedestrian and bikeway connectivity throughout Northeast Ohio. In total, around 5,100 feet of trail has been added to this park, which will also include a scenic overlook with views of Big Creek and parking off of Pearl Road for greater public access.

The park is now open as of June 2021!

We hope to see you at Brighton Park soon.