SOLON, Ohio — Northeast Ohio residents are one step close to having another trail in the area, as the Open Space Institute (OSI) has come to a preliminary purchase agreement with Norfolk Southern Railway Company.

What You Need To Know

  • Northeast Ohio residents may soon be getting another trail

  • This is thanks to a preliminary purchase agreement with the Norfolk Southern Railway Company for seven miles of an unused rail corridor

  • The project features various partners ranging from cities to parks districts and more

  • The trail would cut through Cuyahoga, Portage and Geauga counties

The agreement is for seven miles of unused railroad corridor cutting through three counties: Cuyahoga, Portage and Geauga. A release from OSI states that this agreement "sets the stage" for the creation of the Headwaters Connector Trail. Various cities, parks districts and other organizations are involved in the project as partners.

“Projects like these are a huge win for everyone involved. While this is only the first step of many, we are excited to continue working with our partners to support the creation of this wonderful regional trail,” said Erik Kulleseid, president and CEO of the Open Space Institute, in the release. “This agreement represents a truly rare chance to permanently protect land that will give local communities a new, welcoming place to exercise, relax, and enjoy nature.”

The trail would take an area that is currently off-limits to the public and see it transition to a trail for walkers and cyclists that also connects to other regional trails.

"The City of Solon is proud to be a key partner in transforming this rail line into a vibrant greenway trail that will enhance our community’s health, connectivity, and economic vitality,” City of Solon Mayor Edward Kraus said in the release. “This project represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand outdoor recreation, provide new transportation options, and strengthen our region’s commitment to conservation. We look forward to working with our partners to bring this vision to life for the benefit of all residents and visitors."

(Courtesy Open Space Institute)

The name of the trail comes from the Ohio and Cuyahoga rivers headwaters, and it will feed into the Industrial Heartland Trail Network. According to the release, this network goes through multiple states and will end up connecting various cities.

“Aurora is proud to collaborate on such a regionally significant project and appreciates the leadership of Solon in moving this forward,” Aurora Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin said in the release. “We are completing another piece of the trail puzzle this year with the construction of Phase 1 of the Aurora Trail, expected to connect to the Headwaters Trail to the east and eventually to the Solon project to the west.”

OSI states that the trail will bring various benefits to the region, be they environmental or health or even economic. They say the trail could reduce traffic as well as storm water runoff and offer “new off-road transportation options for workers and residents.”

“We value and appreciate the work of Mayor Kraus, Solon City Council, West Creek Conservancy and project partners,” said Brian Zimmerman, Cleveland Metroparks CEO, in the release. “Connecting communities to green space is one of our core initiatives and we’re proud to play a role in this innovative effort to strengthen our region.”

The release states that $2.1 million is required for the deal to close, and the West Creek Conservancy is working with Solon and OSI to secure funding through grants and other means.

“We’re proud to play a role in such a collaborative and regionally significant project,” said Derek Schafer, executive director of the West Creek Conservancy, in the release. "It also really exemplifies West Creek’s mission which boils down to: protect, restore, connect. Progress through partnerships.”

As per this conditional purchase agreement, the project partners need to acquire the property by the end of this summer. If they do not meet the deadline, “the land could be subdivided and sold off in pieces, which would make creation of the full rail trail unlikely—if not impossible.”

Norfolk Southern needs federal approval in order to abandon the rail corridor, according to OSI, a process they will be starting.

“Now that the purchase agreement has been executed, partners will conduct environmental and engineering reviews and solidify financing plans for the project,” the release reads. “The City of Solon is currently in discussions with Cleveland Metroparks regarding the planning and development of the trail, which can commence once the property is in public hands.”