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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

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. 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.