Council amends lakefront lease to add North Coast Harbor Marina to Cleveland Metroparks' management

The committee approved an ordinance authorizing a seventh amendment to the citys long‑term (99‑year) lakefront lease with Cleveland Metroparks to add the North Coast Harbor and Marina to Metroparks responsibilities.

Metroparks staff explained the marina had been leased to a private concessionaire, Oasis, and that Metroparks no longer seeks a concessionaire and intends to operate the marina with Metroparks staff. The amendment adds the marina (described as open water with approximately 24 docks) to the existing lakefront lease originally enacted in 2013 under ordinance 504‑13; council staff clarified the amendment does not restart the 99‑year term — the newly added property will terminate when the original lease term ends.

Why it matters: Bringing the North Coast Harbor Marina under Metroparks consolidates lakefront operations under the public park agency and moves operations and programming responsibility from private management back to a public park district. Councilmembers asked for maps and details of what the marina includes and received assurances Metroparks will maintain operations, maintenance and programming for the added property.

Outcome: After questions about scope and term the committee approved the ordinance in committee.