Is the Port Authority Helping or Getting in the Way? Essay

The debate continues in Cleveland over the best use of our lakefront. For almost two centuries the lakefront in Cleveland has been mostly industry. Here, like in other cities, we want recreational access to the lakefront. The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority plays a major role in increasing recreational opportunities in downtown Cleveland in two ways: first, it owns a good part of the lakefront (the number one source of land for recreation.); and second, it occupies much of its own land or leases it for industrial purposes. So, therefore, the port authority is one of the major players in the decision of where and how to put recreation along the lakefront. As with anything it is important to understand the past before we can understand the present. I have found a time line dating to 1818 that documents this history. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1818: The first steamboat on Lake Erie arrived in Cleveland. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1828: To improve shipping between the Great Lakes and the Ohio & Erie Canal, a new shipping channel – the current mouth of the Cuyahoga River – was cut to allow the river to flow directly into Lake Erie. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1849: A pier was built at the foot of Water Street (West 9th Street). à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1851: The Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad opened the first Cleveland depot on the lakefront at West 9th Street. By 1853, railroads constructed six piers east of the Cuyahoga River. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1852: The first shipment of ore for smelting iron arrived in Cleveland from Marquette. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1870s: Construction of a breakwater began in the 1870s to protect Cleveland’s harbor area. The United States Congress authorized funds for breakwater construction in 1875, 1886, 1896 and 1902. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1912: The New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad opened an ore dock on fill placed along the lakefront on the north side of Whiskey Island to handle iron ore for Cleveland’s flourishing steel industry. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1913: The East 9th Street pier opened to provide passenger ferry service between Cleveland and Detroit and Buffalo. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1940: The United States Coast Guard Station opened on the eastern end of Whiskey Island at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1959: The St. Lawrence Seaway opened providing access between Great Lakes Ports, including Cleveland, and international markets. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1968: The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority was established to operate Cleveland’s publicly owned lakefront docks. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1970s: The Port Authority purchased land from several entities between the mouth of the Cuyahoga River and West 3rd Street in anticipation of the construction of an ore dock for Republic Steel that ultimately was built in Lorain. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1978: The Port Authority received Foreign Trade Zone designation for part of Dock 20. This federal designation now extends to the entire dock area. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1986: The State of Ohio and the City of Cleveland began construction of a seven acre inner harbor between Dock 32 and East 9th Street. à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1998: The Port Authority purchased the ore dock on Whiskey Island from Conrail to ensure the continued availability of ore deliveries at the lowest costs for local steel making operations.1 As you can see our port has a deep rooted history in our community and in our economy. Also, our port has some special features; for instance we have deep water docks allowing us to have large freighters come into our port. Additionally, our port is a destination port in that most of the goods that come in through the port are going somewhere within fifty miles of the dock. Lastly, our Cleveland Bulk Terminal (CBT)2 is amazing in that it has 1850 linear feet of dock with a loop track for ship to rail distribution. A couple of years ago the company removed the giant and obsolete huletts that used to unload the ships into trains, relying now on self-unloading equipment on ships. Trucks are not used because there is no haul road. This summer Oglebay Norton is hoping to bring the automatic loading equipment from the Lorain Pellet Terminal to enable easier re-loading of ships for International Steel Group. Through all of the current turmoil about the port it has been trying to exonerate it’s self and improve its image. The dispute has brought up two alternatives for the port; one is to leave the port as it is and make Whisky Island into a park; the second is to put the section of the port on the east bank of the river on Whisky Island and make the east bank area a park. Both are controversial as there are the Friends of Whisky Island who want the Island to become a park; while the port wants to just exist downtown. Some people believe that the port should go away all together. They don’t realize that the ships bring goods from overseas, and those goods come into the city’s factories, which either package them or make other products from them. Then, the factories ship the products out to be sold, thus, promoting trade and economic growth in the city of Cleveland and the whole country. As I mentioned before, the port is just striving to exist in downtown Cleveland. This is because of the deep water docks I also mentioned earlier the deep water docks are unique on the great lakes and very important to our economy. If the port were to be moved very far from its current locale there could be great expense taken to dredge a new location in an attempt to recreate deep water docks. In the current debate NOACA is the main intermediary; NOACA has set up a team of four city planners, one of which is from the city planning commission and three outside counsels, who have been holding meetings in different neighborhoods that might be affected and are taking in ideas. Many people like the idea to move the port to the west bank and free up land on the east, although it is unlikely. Thus, I can safely conclude, that the port is one of the biggest players in what will happen to our lakefront. It can either move or stay put. Although, it just wants to continue to exist and are continuously embellishing their own cause to make people think they are important. They are really important to recreation and our economy because they own the land and promote trade and economic growth. The port is a necessity and here to stay. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://www.citizensvision.org/friends-wi/plans/portplan.htm; â€Å"Port Authority Master Plan†; http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/lakefront/; â€Å"Lakefront Plan†; http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/ports/portofcleveland.html; â€Å"Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System: Port of Cleveland†; Ehle, Jay C., William D. Ellis, Nancy A. Schneider; Cleveland’s Harbor: The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority; Kent, Ohio and London, England; The Kent State University Press; (c)1996 1 http://urban.csuohio.edu/forum/waterways/portactivites/index.htm 2 The Cleveland Bulk Terminal is operated by Oglebay Norton Terminals Inc.; a division of the Oglebay Norton Company.