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The City of Cleveland, Canalway Partners, and Merritt Chase are pleased to announce that the Ohio Chapter of The American Society of Landscape Architects (OCASLA) has awarded the 2025 Award of Excellence to Canal Basin Park. The award recognizes excellent professional achievement in projects that epitomize the ingenuity, originality and functionality of the profession of landscape architecture.
"The OCASLA Award is a wonderful recognition of the collective work of so many people in Cleveland. We could not be more thrilled to share the process and the project with the landscape architecture community," said Nina Chase, Founding Principal at Merritt Chase.
“Merritt Chase went beyond the expectations of the city, stakeholders and our partners to imagine a dynamic park space for the entire region. Kudos to the OCASLA award jury for recognizing the significance of their design,” James McKnight, ASLA, Section Chief, Sr. Landscape Architect, City of Cleveland Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects.
Created by Merritt Chase and their team, including OHM Advisors and ThirdSpace Action Lab on behalf of the City of Cleveland in 2024, the design plans for Canal Basin Park enhance the site by leveraging its historic features and its central riverfront location. The schematic designs were approved unanimously by the City of Cleveland Planning Commission in January of 2025 and are a step forward in the completion of a vision for Canal Bain Park has been developing since 2001.
“The Canal Basin Park designs translate the area’s historic identity into an engaging landscape that will connect people to this important place for generations to come. We are thrilled with Merritt Chase’s work and the city of Cleveland’s leadership on the designs. Thank you to OCASLA for recognizing the ingenuity and thoughtful approach to this project,” Mera Cardenas, Executive Director at Canalway Partners.
The Merritt Chase design team in partnership with community partners including Canalway Partners, Cuyahoga County, Downtown Cleveland Inc., Cleveland Metroparks, the National Park Service, Trust for Public Land and the City of Cleveland Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects and residents, developed principles to guide the park's future. The principles focus on enhancing regional connectivity, improving access, fostering ecological regeneration, and celebrating the park’s history and cultural identity.
The design team's archival research revealed key historical narratives integral to shaping both the city and the site:
Each of these historical periods is recognized in the features of the park designs which include a continuous riverfront boardwalk, a reinterpretation of the Canal Basin featuring a stormwater management feature, a Cuyahoga River-themed playground for families, community lawns for diverse activities and events and enhanced connectivity to link to nearby trails and parks.
About Canal Basin Park
Located in downtown Cleveland on the east bank of The Flats, Canal Basin Park is the historic site where the 1832 Ohio & Erie Canal met the Cuyahoga River. Today, it is the northern terminus of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, and in the future it will be an interpretive park that honors the location’s important history, connects the community to the Cuyahoga River and trail network, and creates a cohesive greenspace for community use.
About the City of Cleveland
The City of Cleveland is committed to putting people and neighborhoods first, working to deliver high-quality city services and leading bold change. The City is focused on building a stronger and safer Cleveland and modernizing City Hall to improve outcomes for residents, businesses and visitors. To learn more about the City of Cleveland, visit www.clevelandohio.gov, X (Twitter) at @CityofCleveland or Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofcleveland.
About Canalway Partners
Canalway Partners is a 501(c)3 non-profit cultural heritage organization that serves as a catalyst for projects and programs within the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area in Cuyahoga County. We connect people to place for the prosperity of all.
Merritt Chase (www.merrittchase.com)
Merritt Chase is a landscape architecture firm dedicated to creating public spaces that connect people, culture, and ecology across Middle America.
Merritt Chase is a landscape architecture practice based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Indianapolis, Indiana. The firm works to create public landscapes for the Midwest, Rust Belt, and Appalachia.
Merritt Chase designs public parks, gardens, plazas, waterfronts, and cultural districts, transforming underutilized spaces into places that people love. They believe that thoughtfully designed public spaces strengthen communities and improve people’s lives.
Merritt Chase’s design process is deeply rooted in research and community engagement. Through their projects, they seek to redefine contemporary Middle American urbanism by designing spaces that uncover histories, restore habitats, and reflect the social identity of communities.