Propped Productions

Throwback Thursday to Irishtown Bend in April 2021, before the hillside stabilization work reshaped this stretch of Cleveland’s riverfront.

In these views, the slope still looks overgrown and uneven. At the time, this hillside was still in the long planning and pre-construction stage of what would become one of the city’s most important riverfront infrastructure projects.

The goal was never just to clear land for a park. Irishtown Bend had been slowly shifting toward the Cuyahoga River for years, creating concern for the working shipping channel, nearby rail lines, roads, utilities, and the future public space planned for the site.

Since these photos were taken, the hillside has changed dramatically. Stabilization work has reinforced the river’s edge, regraded the slope, and prepared the land for the next phases of Irishtown Bend Park. The future park is planned to reconnect Ohio City, the Flats, downtown, the Cuyahoga River, and Lake Erie through trails, overlooks, green space, and public gathering areas.

This April 2021 view is a good reminder of how much groundwork happens before a place becomes accessible again.

Check our other post for a current view of Irishtown Bend and how far the project has come.

Irishtown Bend, early June 2026

This interactive view captures a major turning point on Cleveland’s near west side. The first phase of work at Irishtown Bend is complete, and you can clearly see the newly graded hillside stretching between Ohio City, the Cuyahoga River, and the lakefront.

For years, this slope was one of Cleveland’s most important but unstable pieces of riverfront land. The hillside had been slowly shifting toward the Cuyahoga, creating a real concern for the shipping channel below. Stabilizing the bend was the necessary first step before the future park, trails, and public spaces could move forward.

Freighters, rail lines, industry, recreation, and neighborhood life all meet here. Irishtown Bend is not just a park project. It is infrastructure, preservation, public access, and Cleveland history layered into one hillside.

This area was once home to one of Cleveland’s early Irish immigrant neighborhoods. By the mid-1800s, workers and families lived along the steep west bank near the docks, rail lines, warehouses, coal yards, and river traffic that helped build the city’s industrial economy. Over time, the homes disappeared, the neighborhood faded, and by the late 20th century much of the land had become vacant. What remains today is a rare chance to reconnect Cleveland with a riverfront that was shaped by immigration, labor, transportation, and industry.

Now, with Phase 1 complete, the next chapters can begin. Upcoming work is expected to bring trail connections, Franklin Avenue improvements, green infrastructure, and eventually the larger Irishtown Bend Park. When finished, this hillside will connect Ohio City, the Flats, downtown, and the river in a way Cleveland has been planning toward for years.

This image is a good reminder of how much groundwork has to happen before a public space takes shape. Right now, the site still looks raw. That is part of the story. The grading, the open soil, the new lines across the hill, and the cleared riverfront are the foundation for what comes next.

Irishtown Bend is moving from a long-standing risk to a future public landmark, one phase at a time.