Public park preserves Vermilion shoreline
VERMILION — Wakefield Metro Park was officially dedicated Tuesday, June 16, as the final piece of Vermilion’s Main Street Beach revitalization plan, marking the completion of a lakefront vision nearly 20 years in the making.
The Tuesday morning dedication brought together Erie MetroParks, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, city officials and members of the Wakefield family to recognize the preservation of a public lakefront space that once could have become private development.
Melissa Price, executive director of Erie MetroParks, said Wakefield Metro Park represents the final phase of the downtown lakefront plan that began in 2021.
“Today, we celebrate a vision that began nearly 20 years ago,” Price said. “We recognize the many people and partners who diligently worked to make that vision a reality.”
Public shoreline preserved
The property became a focus of preservation efforts in 2008, when a 16-unit condominium project was proposed for the site. Instead, Vermilion residents and conservation partners worked to preserve the property as public parkland.
Price noted that only a small portion of Lake Erie’s shoreline is available to the public, making the park an important community asset. A conservation easement held by Western Reserve Land Conservancy ensures the property cannot be developed.
Wakefield Metro Park provides habitat for migratory birds and rare shoreline plants, including inland sea rocket and purple sand grass. It also offers passive recreation space for residents and visitors to walk, kayak, swim, fish and enjoy the lakefront.
The park was acquired with support from multiple funding sources, including the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, coastal management funds, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Erie County Community Foundation, local foundations and private donors.
Price said the finished park reflects years of work by residents, donors, public officials and conservation partners.
“What you see here today is the result of patience, persistence and a willingness to work together toward a common goal,” she said.
A long conservation effort
Andy McDowell, vice president of western field operations for Western Reserve Land Conservancy, said the Wakefield property was not a typical conservation project when the organization first became involved.
McDowell said the effort began after a Vermilion resident contacted the land conservancy in 2007 about the site. Although the property was smaller and more urban than many projects the organization typically pursued, McDowell said its importance was clear.
“It was really out of the norm for us at the time,” McDowell said. “But the context of this was just so critical and important that it was a no-brainer to take on.”
McDowell said the project required patience from the Wakefield family, support from Erie MetroParks and the city of Vermilion, and significant help from local donors.
He said private donations were essential to securing public grant funding and moving the project forward. Contributions came from major donors as well as residents who gave smaller amounts because they believed in preserving the lakefront.
McDowell said Wakefield Metro Park became the keystone piece of a broader effort to preserve and improve the public shoreline near Main Street Beach.
Honoring F.W. Wakefield
Vermilion Mayor Russ Owens said the dedication honored both the park and the legacy of F.W. Wakefield, a former Vermilion mayor and business leader whose family name remains closely tied to the city.
Owens said Wakefield arrived in Vermilion in the early 1900s and established the F.W. Wakefield Brass Co., bringing manufacturing jobs, careers and economic opportunity to generations of Vermilion families.
Wakefield served as mayor of Vermilion from 1910 to 1914 and helped guide the city during an important period of growth, Owens said.
“Today, we are not just dedicating a park,” Owens said. “We are honoring a man whose vision helped shape modern Vermilion.”
Owens said Wakefield’s legacy is found not only in buildings or businesses, but in the lives of families whose opportunities were shaped by his investment in the community.
“While none of us can choose where history places us, we can choose what we leave behind,” Owens said. “F.W. Wakefield left behind jobs, careers, opportunity, civic leadership and a stronger Vermilion.”
Read Wakefield, speaking on behalf of the Wakefield family, said the property has deep personal meaning.
He said his family grew up on the beach, playing along the shoreline and enjoying the harbor. Seeing the space now used by the public, he said, is a meaningful continuation of the family’s connection to the property.
“People come here in the evening and watch beautiful sunsets,” Wakefield said. “That is the greatest joy and legacy of this park for our family.”
Wakefield said the family is pleased to see the property preserved and enjoyed by the community.
“I’m glad that Vermilion has this opportunity to enjoy this space,” he said.
Partners recognized at dedication
Following the remarks, officials, partners and members of the Wakefield family gathered for a symbolic ribbon cutting. A walking tour was also planned to highlight the conservation and preservation aspects of the park.
Price also recognized Erie MetroParks staff members who helped prepare the trails, signage and interpretive materials for the park.
The dedication marked the completion of a long-running effort to create a larger, connected public park area along Vermilion’s Lake Erie shoreline.
For Price, the finished project reflects the work of many people, including some early supporters who did not live to see the full vision completed.
“We are very fortunate to continue to be a little spoke in the wheel that continues to build on what other people saw before we stood here,” Price said.
