News Release
Jack McCormick
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Contact: Pamela Barnes, 440-241-5857
Contact: Jennifer Bako, 330-657-2909 ext. 136
BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - The National Park Service closed on the purchase of 198 acres of the 213-acre former Brandywine Golf Course property on Dec. 28, 2022, from the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP). This land purchase in the heart of CVNP is an important part of the park’s long-term plan for improved public access and habitat restoration in the area. The remaining 15 acres of the property is retained by the Conservancy for CVNP.
“We are delighted that the transfer of the former Brandywine Golf Course property to the National Park Service is now complete, officially adding this beautiful acreage to Cuyahoga Valley National Park for the benefit and enjoyment of our visitors and our communities now and into the future,” said Lisa Petit, Superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “We are especially grateful to our partner, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, for their tireless efforts to protect and remediate this property for the American public.”
Remediation work on the property is set to begin early in 2023. The Conservancy for CVNP will oversee the project with HZW Environmental Consultants of Mentor, Ohio, to assist in the execution and management of the remediation work. This phase of the project is funded by an Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program grant award from the Ohio Department of Development. As this important work continues, the property remains closed to the public for safety reasons.
“Since 2019, the Conservancy worked diligently to save this property in the heart of our park to protect habitat as well as create a space for all to enjoy the land and Cuyahoga River,” said Deb Yandala, president and CEO, Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “We are grateful to the community, especially the individuals and foundations who stepped up to join us in our efforts to preserve this land for the National Park Service.”
Once the remediation phase is complete later this year, a site plan, including visitor amenities, will be established in coordination with community/public input, especially the Village of Peninsula. For project updates, visit www.forcvnp.org/riverfront.
Remediation, in this case, means the removal of contaminated soil. Sampling on the property identified the presence of mercury in the shallow soil of the tee boxes, putting greens and some fairways. The use of fungicides and herbicides containing mercury dates to the 1950s and continued through the 1990s. These products were routinely applied using industry-standard practices.
Mercury in this form is relatively immobile and there is no threat to humans on the property. The contaminated soil will be taken to a landfill equipped and approved to oversee this kind of soil and will be managed there in perpetuity.
CVNP encompasses over 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Managed by the National Park Service, CVNP combines cultural, historical, recreational, and natural resources in one setting. For more information, visit us at www.nps.gov/cuva; on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; or call 440-717-3890.
-NPS-
Last updated: January 24, 2024