TOLEDO, Ohio — A vision of revitalizing Toledo, creating a safe space of connectivity where children can play and couples can walk and anyone of any age can enjoy themselves. This vision was what Metroparks Toledo had in mind when designing and beginning the Glass City Riverwalk project.
Since 2023, the city of Toledo has seen and will continue to see major developments alongside the Maumee River. Moving into 2024, Glass City Metropark was awarded the 2023 Governor's Award on Thursday. It is the only park system to win the award twice.
As the construction continues underway, Scott Carpenter, director of pubic relations at Metroparks Toledo said that residents and visitors will have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season.
"What people may or may not realize is that this (what has been completed) is only about 25% of the entire project that we're working on... and that's called the Glass City Riverwalk," said Carpenter.
Developments underway will be visible from the MLK bridge to the Anthony Wayne bridge. Carpenter said that these developments will act as a major asset to the city, and that in 2023 alone, over 200,000 people visited the Metropark from around the world.
“So, it’s become well established that all great cities have great parks, and all great downtowns have great river fronts," said Carpenter, "We’re drastically increasing the aesthetics of downtown, but more importantly, the livability. So, we want Toledo to be a place to live, work and play and we want young people to know that they can stay here and have a great quality of life or even move here. Bring their talents, their families, and have a great quality of life in Toledo.”
According to Metroparks Toledo, the Glass City Riverwalk is a ten-year plan. They are currently in their third year, and in 2024, the next step is to develop International Park.
The Riverwalk will eventually stretch from International Park to Vistula neighborhood on both sides of the Maumee River.
Carpenter said that that the project has been gratifying for not only himself, but for the rest of the Metroparks Toledo team , and that the response from the public has been overwhelming.
“This project had a goal of changing people’s perception of Toledo. And, redoing your riverfront is one of the way cities across the country have done that. So we’ve set out to not only set out to build a great riverfront, but our director says the best riverfront in the entire country," said Carpenter.
From ice skating to birthday parties, Carpenter says that Metroparks Toledo's focus is to revitalize the city with a focus on the environment throughout the process.