The playground at the Lou and Jackie Groza Park in Berea was closed this week and is now part of a joint reconstruction project between the city and the Cleveland Browns organization. Youngsters and adults alike will benefit from the rejuvenated playground once it’s completed.
According to Mayor Cyril M. Kleem, he was having a discussion with a Browns’ executive when a potential joint project was mentioned. This discussion led to the Groza athletic complex, recently renamed the Lou and Jackie Groza Park.
“We have a very good relationship with the Browns. This is a generous effort they are doing. It is a nice fit,” Kleem said.
Jenner Tekancic, community outreach manager for the Browns, explained that because the organization’s training facility is housed in Berea, the Browns and the city have a “great relationship.” She added that the organization is an essential part of the neighborhood and that its outreach focuses on giving back to the community.
“We see this as an opportunity to refurbish this outdoor park to provide a great place for families and children to enjoy fitness in a safe environment,” she said.
The site is due to be completed later this month. It falls into the Browns’ annual Play 60 project that aims to encourage families and children to do at least 60 minutes of daily activity in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Volunteers from city groups and Browns alumni will help build the project.
The Browns’ former placekicker Lou “The Toe” Groza and his wife Jackie lived and raised their family in Berea. Lou passed away in 2000, Jackie in August 2010.
