OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio -- A year after applying for and failing to receive a grant to pay for its David Fortier River Park pathway restoration project, Olmsted Falls officials are once again seeking county funds.
The city is applying for an $80,000 Cuyahoga County Community Development Grant, which is administered by Cuyahoga County Council.
“As one of our oldest parks, Fortier Park is a gem right in the middle of our downtown,” Mayor James Graven said.
“That’s why we put in for an $80,000 grant for the wood deck, which is under the covered bridge that a lot of people use in the summer.”
In the shadow of the Charles A. Harding Memorial Covered Bridge is the walkway that, for the better part of five years, has been on the city’s radar for repair.
“It’s still open, but the pathway is deteriorating,” Olmsted Falls Finance Director Tom Reynolds said.
“We’re being proactive in getting this project done, and we’re going for funding for it so we don’t have a serious safety issue or needing to close it.
“It would be a significant inconvenience and detour if we had to close that pathway. That’s why we’re wanting to do this project now; that’s why we’re going for funding.”
The potential upside to missing out on last year’s $50,000 Cuyahoga County Community Development Supplemental Grant (CDSG) is if the new request is granted, it should cover the entire project cost.
Reynolds said last year’s denial of project funds won’t have any bearing on this year’s decision by Cuyahoga County officials.
“I’ve been in communication with the county and this is a good project,” he said.
“The reason why we didn’t get it last time was due to a very competitive pool of park projects seeking CDSG money.
“We got some feedback and they said our project was a fundable project. This is a different pool of county money, so I’m optimistic.”
While Graven said he’s also optimistic about the city’s chances of receiving grant funding, he admitted that sooner than later, Olmsted Falls may have to budget for the needed project.
“In the meantime, there are some other options,” Reynolds said.
“So we’re aggressively going after grants and funding opportunities.”
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