The Cuyahoga Valley National Park wants to open its first full-service visitor center to help the millions of park visitors, especially those from other states and countries, find their way around the popular destination and the entire region.
The effort is being driven by a nearly $6 million fundraising campaign by the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the friends-of-the-park group.
That fundraising campaign — the biggest ever undertaken by the nonprofit grass-roots group — has quietly raised $3.8 million or nearly 64 percent for the welcome gateway in northern Summit County. Officials are optimistic that the remaining $2.1 million will be donated by Dec. 31.
If the money is raised, design plans for the three-building complex off Riverview Road in Boston Township would be prepared in 2017 and construction would begin in 2018. The new visitor center would open in late 2018 or early 2019.
The Cuyahoga Valley park has never had a full-service visitor center, and that’s been a desire for many years.
It is something that many park visitors expect, seek out and need at major national parks, the conservancy says.
The facility is planned as the No. 1 stop for visitors to learn about park attractions and activities, especially for the growing number of visitors from other states and countries. It would also provide park visitors with information about regional attractions in Akron and Cleveland, offering a tourist boost for all of Northeast Ohio.
In 1995, less than 1 percent of Cuyahoga Valley visitors came from out of state. Today that is approaching 20 percent. Part of that growth is due to Cuyahoga Valley being designated a national park in 2000.
The park got nearly 2.3 million visitors in 2015, making it the 11th most-visited of the 59 national parks in the United States.
The idea is to provide visitors with the needed information so that they can go out and explore the 33,000-acre park, said Jennie Vasarhelyi, chief of interpretation, education and visitor services in the park.
The center is expected to get hundreds of visitors per day and upwards of 60,000 a year. Available information would include park orientations, maps, trail locations, train schedules, bike rentals, camping, paddling options, directions and area restaurants and accommodations.
Community excitement
Park visitors were happy to hear about the plans.
“We are so blessed to have a national park in our back yard and anything to improve it is worthwhile,” said 60-year-old Deborah Laferty of Bath Township.
Out-of-town park visitors are not as familiar with the park as locals and need additional help, said 63-year-old Linda Hart of West Akron.
“It’s a great idea,” she said.
The conservancy’s goal is raise $5.96 million to purchase, renovate and outfit what would become the Cuyahoga Valley National Park’s first full-service visitor center.
The new facility will be developed entirely with private funds, not federal money.
That is a trend with new visitor centers at Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Gettysburg all funded through non-profit groups, not the National Park Service, said conservancy Chief Executive Officer Deb Yandala.
The $3.8 million raised for the Cuyahoga Valley project has come from two sources: 12 local foundations that have pledged $1.94 million and six individuals who donated $1.85 million, said John Debo, chief development officer at the conservancy. One anonymous donor pledged $1 million.
Proposed location
The new center would be developed in a two-story red-painted building on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River just south of Boston Mills Road north of Peninsula. It is next to the tracks of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and part of the Boston Mills Historic District.
The facility would be easily accessible from highways including the Ohio Turnpike, Interstate 271, Interstate 77 and state Route 8 at the center of the park.
The 3,200-square-foot main building, constructed in 1905, was once home to the Boston Mills General Store. It still houses apartments. Two smaller buildings are nearby.
The facility would feature an outdoor plaza, 24-hour interactive kiosks, interpretive displays and exhibits and a small gift shop.
The plans are being fine-tuned by Peninsula Architects with the Akron-based Environmental Design Group, plus John Milner Architects of Chadds Ford, Pa., said Patty Stevens, capital projects manager for the conservancy.
Park consultants had proposed such a facility in 2009, and the conservancy acquired an option to purchase the building in early 2011 after the owners contacted the park about a possible deal. The plan was approved by a park service panel in 2012, and fundraising started two years later.
The current project calls for spending $675,000 to acquire the property, $2.5 million to fix up the buildings, $163,780 for the outdoor plaza and nearly $1.5 million for exhibits that rely heavily on electronic media and mobile apps. The cleaner Cuyahoga River will be the focus of exhibits.
Minor renovations
The main building is in decent shape but needs a new foundation, officials said.
Rest rooms and a small auditorium are planned in the second building on Zielenski Court. A small office might be located in the third building. A covered pavilion is also planned.
The train-loading area at Boston Mill would be moved from the north side of Boston Mills Road to in front of the new visitor center.
A 101-vehicle parking south of Boston Mills Road would be built between Riverview Road and the tracks. Additional parking for buses and recreational vehicles is planned on the northwest corner of Riverview and Boston Mills roads.
A pedestrian bridge over the Cuyahoga River to connect the new center to the Boston Store and the Towpath Trail is planned in the future.
The conservancy is responsible for construction costs east of the railroad tracks and the park service is responsible for what is built west of the tracks, including moving the train depot and adding parking.
The park service would be responsible for the ongoing operation and maintenance of the visitor center after it is built.
The facility would complement the nearby Boston Store Visitor Center, which would remain open but with a new focus.
The Boston Store became the park’s main visitor center after the Happy Days Visitor Center was converted in 2007 into rental facility. However, the Boston Store is filled with exhibits, not visitor information, Vasarhelyi said. The Hunt House in Cuyahoga Falls and the Canal Exploration Center in Valley View are not considered visitor centers.
Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.