The Lorain Port and Finance Authority (LPA) was created in 1964 with the mission to promote waterborne commerce, to provide economic development opportunities within the City of Lorain, and enhance public access to our waterways. The Lorain Port underwent a strategic planning process in 2019 which outlined ways in which the port could better position itself as an agency that provides economic development incentives, financing opportunities and support to our business community, while also enhancing our current programs and facilities for the citizens of Lorain. Part of the strategic planning process was the rebranding of the Lorain Port Authority to the Lorain Port and Finance Authority. The agency fully adopted the name change at a board of directors meeting in August of 2020. 

The Port owns and manages hundreds of acres of land including Black River Landing, the Oasis Marina at Port Lorain, Lakeside Landing, Victory Park, the 14th Street Boat Launch and Riverside Park, all of which facilitates public access to our waterways. The Port offers opportunities to explore the Black River and Lorain Lighthouse through shuttle boat tours throughout the summer months and prides itself on educating the public on our active commercial port operations which provide an ideal environment for industrial development and growth due to our deep-water channel. Our commercial port operations in the Lorain Harbor account for 129 jobs and $10.2 million in direct, induced, and indirect impacts to our local economy. 

The Lorain port aims to provide an environment conducive to development through incentive and financing programs. Since its inception, the LPA has financed over $160 million in projects. LPA helps finance projects through our bonding capabilities and capital lease financing structure. We help businesses in creative financing solutions such as PACE financing and tax credits while also assisting in facilitating relationships with local banking institutions for small business lending. We manage many types of grants to assist businesses including an environmental assessment program which assesses sites for redevelopment, assisting to help create economic growth in the City of Lorain. The projects we finance are changing the face of our communities.

THE VISION FOR BLACK RIVER LANDING

The plan for Black River Landing is to transform the cherished space so that it will continue to serve as the cultural heart of the community.  Nestled in a new landscape that offers a richer experience connecting the waterfront to the city, residents and visitors will enjoy the scenic venue and all Downtown Lorain offers for generations to come. 

The development of Black River Landing began in 2003 and later in 2006 included a stage addition with a temporary canopy top. Festivals, concerts and summer markets were able to make Black River Landing their home. As the success grew at Black River Landing, the pinch points of hosting these types of events became apparent and the decision was made by our board of directors to pursue a permanent stage with solutions to address some of our difficulties. The current canopy top for the stage is the original from when the stage was constructed in 2006 and is coming to the end of its lifecycle. Today, Black River Landing appears to exist as a separate ‘place’ from the retail and shops on Broadway. 

The new amphitheater presents an opportunity to create a catalytic connectivity plan between the retail/businesses along Broadway to the waterfront. The project represents a vision that leverages this opportunity by creating a series of plazas and promenades, creating a highly intuitive path of connectivity between these two anchors. 

The initial phase design includes a permanent stage and top, an ancillary building which will include areas such as a green room, storage, and equipment, as well as the restructuring of Black River Landing to develop better sightlines of the stage, waterfront and downtown. The development of this amphitheater will allow us to better capitalize on the successes at Black River Landing and give us the opportunity to grow in the scope of events being offered at our facilities.

The location and orientation of the new amphitheater will help to create a new visual terminus, drawing visitors to active events and the waterfront park itself. Future development should consider the creation of a waterfront ‘‘village’ that builds upon the success of Broadway and strengthens pedestrian connectivity to the riverfront.

SITE ANALYSIS BY BIALOSKY CLEVELAND ARCHITECHTS

A review of the site resulted in the following observations:

• One experience
• Limited connectivity
• Limited tree cover
• Opportunity for more amenities
• Underutilized areas
• Limited sense of entry

Proposed Improvements as seen on the renderings include:

1.   Stage
2.   Greenroom / Peel
3.   Amphitheater Lawn
4.   Riverfront Promenade Path
5.   Tree Frame
6.   North Parking Lot
7.   North Lawn
8.   Central Garden
9.   South Parking Lot
10. Secondary Walking Path
11. Southern Entry Gate
12. Existing Pavilions
13. International Oval Lawn
14. Oval Amphitheater Seating
15. Overlook
16. Arrival / Drop-off Plaza
17. Broadway Peel Building
18. Entry Plaza

IMPACT

Black River Landing sees over 150,000 people annually, the largest destination in Lorain County. Black River Landing is a public space that serves all residents of Lorain as well as Lorain County and the greater area. In fact, the majority of those that attend events at Black River Landing are from outside of the City of Lorain, while nearly 35% of those in attendance come from outside of Lorain County. This space provides park amenities, access to our beautiful waterfront of the Black River and a space that hosts events ranging from concerts to theater productions to small community gatherings. The amphitheater in particular is one of the largest draws of outside residents to Lorain County, enhancing the tourism of Lorain. 

Benefits of the proposed design include providing more unique experiences, active and passive recreation, an improved sense of destination and greater connectivity. More than all of those, this investment will provide the platform from improved daily utilization of Black River Landing, activating a public space that is currently most utilized on weekends to a 365 day a year amenity.  

The impact to Lorain, Lorain County and the greater region:

• Permanent and improved amphitheater/stage that is visually appealing
• Doubled capacity for attendance to concerts/events
• Potential for new partnerships for new sports, entertainment and educational events
• Possible rental income from private events
• A fully activated public space that encourages daily use in a multitude of ways
• Economic development in Lorain due to connectivity and increased event attendance