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Cleveland Metroparks to Acquire Acacia Country Club Property


Acacia

Cleveland Metroparks announced the acquisition of the 155-acre Acacia Country Club property, located in the city of Lyndhurst, as a donation from The Conservation Fund, a national non-profit conservation organization. The Board of Park Commissioners voted to accept the donation at its October 11, 2012 meeting.    

"This land will be part of an inner Emerald Necklace, directly serving the eastern suburbs that currently do not have a Cleveland Metroparks reservation in their neighborhood, as well as the broader Cuyahoga County community," said Brian Zimmerman, executive director of Cleveland Metroparks.

Early in October 2012, the shareholders of Acacia Country Club agreed to sell their property to The Conservation Fund for preservation as open space in a crowded commercial corridor. The Conservation Fund and Cleveland Metroparks are hoping to close the deal in December 2012.

Preservation of the Acacia property as open space directly benefits the community and Euclid Creek Reservation, located downstream from Acacia. This property triples the amount of public open space for residents to enjoy.

Cleveland Metroparks has owned property along Euclid Creek since 1920, and continues to own and operate Euclid Creek Reservation, one of the most popular of Cleveland Metroparks reservations with 1.1 million visitors annually. The Acacia property could welcome a similar number of visitors. In addition, with Euclid Creek and two tributary streams flowing through the Acacia property, preserving it as an open space will enhance the health of the watershed and the health of the community.

"The Greater Cleveland area is truely fortunate to have so many individuals and organizations that are passionate about the outdoors and want to see Acacia remain as open space," said Matt Sexton, a Senior Vice President at The Conservation Fund. "We're thankful to Cleveland Metroparks, as well as the Acacia shareholders, for their vision in making this a possibility."