Park to get new visitors center

Staff report

PENINSULA

Cuyahoga Valley National Park will build a new and larger visitor center in the village of Boston, scheduled to open in 2019, to keep pace with the growing use of the park.

The $5.9 million facility will help orient newcomers to the park and connect locals to the its wide array of landscapes and programs.

Out-of-town visitors now make up about 20 percent of Cuyahoga Valley National Park users, and more Northeast Ohioans are discovering the national park in their own backyard.

“People are so excited to spend time in the park that our existing Boston Store Visitor Center doesn’t meet the needs of our visitors,” said Deb Yandala, the conservancy’s CEO. “We knew it was time to open a bigger space to accommodate demand.”

The conservancy’s board voted last week to authorize the purchase of land and buildings on the southeast corner of Riverview and Boston Mill roads in the village of Boston. The historic property will be renovated to serve as a central, one-stop resource where visitors can plan their journeys in the national park and Ohio & Erie Canalway.

The conservancy, which is the nonprofit friends group for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, will manage fundraising, planning, design and construction, and the visitors center will be operated by the National Park Service. The board’s action comes as fundraising for the project nears completion. Full funding is expected by June 30.

“The $4.87 million already raised shows that Northeast Ohioans value the park,” said Jim Nash, conservancy board chairman, who called it a great example of public-private partnership.