Robert Latta

LORAIN, Ohio -- The city of Lorain is moving forward with a $3.5 million stabilization project at Sunset Pier Park, targeting the most deteriorated sections of the historic finger piers as part of a broader effort to revitalize the city’s waterfront.

City officials said Tuesday that the targeted stabilization effort will focus on reinforcing aging structural elements of the piers, which were originally constructed in the late 1940s.

Over time, the sheet pile bulkhead walls that form the piers have deteriorated, prompting the need for immediate improvements to protect public safety and safeguard recent and future waterfront investments.

The project includes installation of rock buttress shoreline stabilization along interior pier sections to reduce pressure on aging bulkheads. Crews will also remove deteriorated timber walers in reinforced areas, fill an underground vault to improve long-term subsurface stability and install pedestrian safety railings along improved pier edges.

In addition, traffic barriers and bollards will be placed to protect unreinforced sections and restrict vehicle loading near vulnerable wall areas.

The $3.5 million is expected to cover construction, engineering and design costs. Funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is part of $4 million in federal Congressional Directed Spending allocated to the city. The funding was secured with the support of U.S. Representative Bob Latta.

City officials described the stabilization work as a critical first step in the long-term transformation of the former industrial piers into a publicly accessible waterfront destination.

Plans for Sunset Pier Park include expanded recreation opportunities, improved lake access and amenities aimed at boosting tourism and broader community revitalization.