Cleveland Readers Reject Golf Course, Demand Bold Lakefront Vision

Residents call for iconic landmarks, year-round attractions to transform Burke Lakefront Airport site

Mar. 31, 2026 at 5:54pm

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A vibrant, high-contrast silkscreen print depicting the Cleveland skyline with a towering, futuristic observation structure at the center, repeated in a grid pattern with bold, neon-inspired colors and heavy black outlines, conceptually representing the public's call for an iconic landmark to anchor the lakefront redevelopment.Residents demand bold, transformative ideas to redefine Cleveland's lakefront and cement the city's identity.Cleveland Today

Cleveland residents are pushing back against the city's initial proposal to transform the 450-acre Burke Lakefront Airport site, which leans heavily on building a golf course. Readers are instead calling for bold, four-season attractions that would draw tourists and define the city's identity, such as a signature landmark tower, world-class museum, expanded marinas, and year-round amusement park features.

Why it matters

The redevelopment of the Burke Lakefront Airport site represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Cleveland's lakefront in a way that serves the broader public, not just a small, affluent slice of users. Residents are pushing back against proposals that would effectively replace one exclusive amenity (the airport) with another (a golf course), arguing the city should think bigger and bolder to create attractions that draw visitors and cement Cleveland's identity.

The details

The conversation was sparked by a column from Leila Atassi of cleveland.com, who sounded the alarm about the city's initial proposals for the Burke Lakefront Airport site. Readers responding to a question from host Chris Quinn didn't just agree with Atassi - they came out swinging, zeroing in on the golf course proposal and questioning why the city would dedicate huge chunks of prime lakefront real estate to something that serves a tiny slice of the population. Readers offered far more ambitious ideas, including a signature landmark tower or observation structure, a world-class museum, expanded marinas and public beaches, and year-round amusement park-style attractions. There was also debate around the potential use of a Ferris wheel from the former I-X Center, with hosts arguing it would need to be a large, enclosed structure to function as a year-round draw.

  • On March 31, 2026, cleveland.com published a column by Leila Atassi about the city's initial proposals for the Burke Lakefront Airport site.
  • On the same day, the 'Today in Ohio' podcast discussed reader responses to the column and their ideas for transforming the lakefront.

The players

Leila Atassi

A columnist for cleveland.com who wrote about the city's initial proposals for the Burke Lakefront Airport site.

Chris Quinn

The host of the 'Today in Ohio' podcast, where the discussion about reader ideas for the lakefront took place.

Laura Johnston

The content director for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, who participated in the 'Today in Ohio' podcast discussion.

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What they’re saying

“If this is going to be the people's lakefront, that it actually has to function like one, has to be dense with activity and open to everyone and designed for the many, not the few.”

— Leila Atassi, Columnist

“I think the only way a Ferris wheel would work in Cleveland, especially if you want to make it a year round attraction, if it's something like the London Eye, right. That's enclosed.”

— Laura Johnston, Content Director

What’s next

The city will need to carefully consider the public feedback and explore more ambitious, transformative ideas for the Burke Lakefront Airport site that go beyond traditional amenities and cater to a broader segment of the population.

The takeaway

Cleveland residents are eager for the city to think big and bold in its plans for the Burke Lakefront Airport site, rejecting proposals that would simply replace one exclusive amenity with another. The public is calling for iconic landmarks, year-round attractions, and developments that would draw visitors and cement Cleveland's identity, rather than playing it safe with more conventional options.