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Playgrounds are an essential part of any community. Berea is upgrading and enhancing two of them this year.
Thanks to a grant from Cuyahoga County Council, the City is expanding John Mucklo Playground and Park next to the Municipal Pool. The County gave Berea $875,000 to help pay for the final renovations to Coe Lake Park. Part of those funds will pay for resurfacing and improving the parking lot. The median strips will be taken out to provide more spaces and a tree-lined walkway will be constructed from the Berea Branch Library to Coe Lake. Parking lot improvements probably will start this fall.
A separate county grant paid for the demolition of the old, vacant city building next to the park so we could expand Mucklo Playground. A kid-size zipline is now installed and the rest of the equipment should be ready to go soon.
Berea also has received a Community Development Block Grant to improve Dora Lee Payne Park in the North End. CDBG funds are federal monies administered by the County. The $150,000 grant will pay for expanding the playground and adding all new equipment. While Mucklo Playground has a pirate ship theme, Dora Lee will have a rocket ship theme. We’ll also resurface the parking lot and improve the soccer and baseball fields.
Earlier this year, the City dedicated Tyler Field in the Nobottom/Barrett Road neighborhood in memory of Tyler Graham, a student at the former Parknoll School who passed away in 2008 at the age of 8.
These enhancements provide up-to-date and safe play areas for all children. The playgrounds will include equipment designed for children with special needs. We hope you and your family will enjoy these additions and changes to the Berea Recreation Department’s parks. We hope to continue to improve all of Berea’s playgrounds in the future.