Location

City of Aurora and Bainbridge Township, Ohio

IMPACT

The plan provided a planning document that can be shared with the community and potential developers for property development that will achieve all stakeholders’ goals, including preserving and providing key public green space and access around the lake.

Geauga Lake Redevelopment Master Plan

Environmental Design Group was hired by Cedar Fair for a master planning study to develop a new vision for the former Geauga Lake Amusement Park. This 651-acre site contained remnants of two former amusement parks, extensive wetlands, disintegrating parking lots and 55-acre spring fed lake. Numerous utility easements, development and zoning restrictions, and closed landfills complicated the opportunity for redevelopment.

Our team was hired to evaluate the site and develop a master plan for how the site could be redeveloped to maximize property value for Cedar Fair, provide public access to the lake, support mixed uses that provide a balance of residential, retail, commercial and institutional uses, minimize impacts to sensitive environmental conditions and provide a unified plan, agreed upon by owner and community. Our responsibilities included site analysis and inventory of existing conditions, meetings with both communities, review of zoning codes, preparation of conceptual site plans, a development matrix and illustrative renderings.