Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Akron Beacon Journal reports, "Towpath Trail on road to completion in Flats"

How is it that the people in Akron got the scoop on this before Cleveland.com.
According to Google News, this was published six hours ago by the Beacon Journal - this hapopened yesterday by the way - and there is nothing anywhere on the Cleveland site, nor is there anything on the city's press release site. Typical!
Well here is the article for all of you non-Akron news reading folks.

Posted on Tue, Oct. 18, 2005

Towpath Trail on road to completion in Flats

Legislation a huge financial boost to northern end

By Bob Downing

Beacon Journal staff writer

The Cleveland City Council on Monday approved legislation that provides a major financial boost to complete the northern end of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

The legislation provides $10.4 million from property taxes on the new Steelyard Commons retail development that will go to build the six miles of trail through Cleveland's industrial Flats area.

``It's good news and really, really big news,'' said Tim Donovan of Ohio Canal Corridor, a grass-roots group in Cleveland.

The $10.4 million, which Donovan said represents the largest local contribution to building the Towpath Trail, will enable agencies to qualify for an additional $30 million in federal and state grants.

The taxes on the development that includes a new Wal-Mart Supercenter enable the city to match $6.4 million in federal funds just granted for trail construction.

The price tag for the Towpath Trail construction in Cleveland is projected at $40 million. Completing the trail may take up to eight years, Donovan said.

The tax also will enable the city to match federal funds to start building the proposed Canal Basin Park that would be the northern terminus of the trail.

Cleveland has received an added $3 million federal grant for the new park that lies under the Detroit-Superior Bridge.

The northern end of the trail now begins at Harvard Avenue in Cleveland. At present, 70 miles of the trail have been built in Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

The trail is seen as a key element of the 110-mile Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Canalway, which runs from Cleveland through Akron and Canton to New Philadelphia.

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