Bay Village planning Village Green
The City of Bay Village is planning a Village Green for the space between City Hall and the new Cuyahoga County Public Library branch. The space will be both a connecting hub to travel between area destinations and a gathering space for casual get-togethers and planned events.
The city is working on the design with HBM Architects, the same firm that designed the library, and Deru Landscape Architecture is contributing landscape design.
The plan will include concrete walking paths, a central hub and pergola, seating, lighting, native plantings, and memorials, including the Amy Mihaljevic memorial and a possible Bay Village veterans memorial. There will also be an area for Food Truck Friday vendors and visitors.
The layout of the Village Green is designed to provide efficient, attractive connections between the many popular nearby features, including Play-in-Bay, the tennis and basketball courts, ball fields, the Family Aquatic Center, Dwyer Memorial Senior Center, Bay Middle School, and Bay Square. There is an additional plan to install a rectangular rapid flashing beacon, or RRFB, across Wolf Road to improve safety for pedestrians. The RRFB will be similar to those at Cahoon and Lake roads and Dover Center and Bruce roads.
The Village Green was recommended in the citywide master plan completed by the city and the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission in 2016, as part of the plan’s vision for “creating a more vibrant village center. The city has been working toward implementing the recommendations in that plan, including the Safe Routes to School program, mixed-use zoning overlay, and the upcoming bike lanes on Wolf Road.
Now that the library’s footprint has been finalized and construction is complete, the Village Green will provide a much-needed connector for the area.
The project is expected to cost about $500,000. The Bay Village Foundation has already agreed to contribute $50,000 towards the project, and other donations are pending. The city is also pursuing funding from several outside sources, including a NatureWorks grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Information on this project, the citywide master plan, and other city planning and construction initiatives are available on the city website at www.cityofbayvillage.com. If you would like to learn more about the Village Green project or provide feedback, there will be a public input meeting on Tuesday, May 24, at 6:00 p.m. at Bay Village City Hall, 350 Dover Center Road. You can also contact Project Manager Kathryn Kerber by phone at 440-899-3412 or email at kkerber@cityofbayvillage.com.