Making Public-Private Partnerships Work!
The LDA is proud to showcase our ongoing public-private partnership with Ohio EPA and Kurtz Bros Inc! The North Park Sediment Recycling Facility not only maintains vital waterway access but also fosters economic growth. This project is key to preserving our lakefront’s environmental health while ensuring our commercial harbor can remain open and support commerce traffic across Lake Erie.
Check out the video to see how we’re driving change and making a lasting impact on our community!
PLEASE EXCUSE OUR MESS!
The Lake County Executive Airport is undergoing many construction projects.
Rehabilitation of our main runway 5/23 is currently underway. There will be an addition of a new Taxiway to meet that runway and there will be removal of the unused pavement that was part of the old taxiway. We are working diligently to get those projects done before the snow flies. These three projects carry a total price tag of $4.232 million. The airport match, generously funded by the Lake County Commissioners through LDA, is roughly 5% of the total cost. The remaining 90% of the funding for these projects come from the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvements grant program and an additional 5% from the ODOT, Office of Aviation matching grant funds. The best part about using these federal and state funding sources is that these monies do not come from taxes. Both the FAA and ODOT’s share of these projects are funded through user fees.
Additional grants have been awarded for projects to be completed in 2025. One project is the rehabilitation of airport lighting consisting of a new electrical vault, beacon, and an upgrade from 30-year-old conventional lighting to LED lighting on the newly completed runway 5/23. An FAA grant will pay $2.115 million and ODOT grants will provide $345,000. The Lake County Executive Airport has also received grant funding to replace a 37-year-old aging trailer serving as an administration building with a new terminal building. Grants have been issued for this project by FAA through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Airport Terminal Program for $2.6 million. Airport Manager, Patty Fulop, was very pleased to have brought this funding to the residents of Lake County to make major improvements to their airport. “We have a gem of an airport here in Lake County that we can all be proud of” she said, adding that “the airport is very grateful for the continued support of the commissioners and the LDA”.
City of Eastlake Power Plant Project
Lake Development Authority is currently working with the City of Eastlake to develop property located at the site of the former Eastlake Power Plant.
The City of Eastlake is interested in the development of the northern side of the property, which would include the existing lakeshore, the property adjacent to the lakefront, the pier/boardwalk, and the CSX rail spur that connects Eastlake to downtown Willoughby. The vision is to repurpose this area for recreational use, and other compatible, non-recreational uses to create the best value for the landowner.
At present, IDA Power, through a wholly owned subsidiary, acquired the Eastlake Power Plant, pursuant to a liability assumption agreement with Energy Harbor Generation LLC (EHG). The acquisition transaction required IDA to take over the ownership and responsibility for the property while assuming all environmental liabilities associated with the facility. The Eastlake Power Plant is situated on a 120.3-acre lake-front parcel. It was previously operated as a coal fired power plant and is currently operated as a Synchronous Condenser used to adjust conditions on the electric power transmission grid. The American Transmission System, Inc. (ATSI) currently owns the buildings and equipment that support this operation and leases a portion of the property for its operations.
Outside of the property constrained by leases and easements, approximately 65-acres of the southern portion of the property is available for redevelopment. A portion of the area may be further constrained by wetlands, topography, and zoning. Per IDA Power, redevelopment is expected to include the modification of onsite stormwater management and the demolition of several buildings and other onsite structures. The property’s northern side is the shoreline of Lake Erie. The surrounding area consists of a marina, residential and park uses to the east as well as residential uses south. A CSX Transportation, Inc. spur enters the southeast corner of the property and connects to the onsite rail yard.
Lake Development Authority is currently overseeing the Request for Qualifications process, to secure a firm that can provide Criteria Architect/Engineering services for the future development of a recreational site at this location. The successful design-bidder will work to establish a vision that will present new opportunities for public access to Lake Erie.
