Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority 1998 Master Plan

Although the Port Authority does not own the part of Whiskey Island occupied by the marina and public access area, that fact did not deter it from including these areas in their 1998 Master Plan. The Port Authority covets Whiskey Island -- not as public lakefront park property, but as the site of a combination terminal for cargo. (a significant portion of the dock space on the east side of the Cuyahoga River is dedicated for Browns stadium parking.)

The Port Authority's plan would fill in and level the present marina and greenspace, bulkheading the fill to create a new dock, doubling the west side dock area. Throwing a bone to the public, the plan designates a narrow green strip alongside the river -- a strip that critics scornfully called "Sliver Park."

Recently, in response to intense lobbying by a professional lobbyist hired by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, the Ohio legislature repealed the section of State law requiring port authorities to prepare master plans and to hold hearings to allow public comment. Thus the Port Authority has no duty or obligation to adhere to any plan that they have prepared in the past, nor is it obligated to reveal to the public any future plans or any changes to existing plans. The Ohio Revised Code now permits the Port Authority to keep the public totally in the dark until the event occurs -- without allowing even a single comment or objection.

In June 2002 the Port Authority said verbally at a public hearing that it would not take over Whiskey Island at this time. But two months before, in a PowerPoint presentation entitled "Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority Protects 10,000 good jobs" used in its 2002 levy renewal campaign, the Port Authority reiterated its original goal. The picture below is part of that presentation.

Breakbulk/Steel, Container/Roll On/Off Terminal
obliterates Whiskey Island Marina and Greenspace by 2010