Local rowing advocates say their beloved sport is about to get even bigger thanks to the Cleveland Rowing Foundation's recent acquisition of Rivergate Park, a former marina on the East Bank of the Flats, for $3 million. Cleveland Rowing (CRF) is the umbrella organization for nine area rowing clubs, including Case Western. It operates the only boathouse on the Cuyahoga.
Jeff Zabor, president of the Western Reserve Rowing Association, believes that the sport is on the verge of "doubling or even tripling" in Cleveland. "It's just the right place at the right time."
Over the next two years, CRF will redevelop Rivergate into a seven-acre riverside recreation venue, with two acres of the property being set aside for a public park. The organization will operate its boathouse and other rowing facilities on the remaining five acres. Down the line, a second larger boathouse will be added to the complex.
With all the extra room -- Rivergate is more than twice the size of the previous location on the Scranton Road Peninsula -- the organization plans to expand in a big way. Over the next five years, CRF plans to double its membership to 1,500 while enlarging its annual Head of the Cuyahoga Regatta, says Theresa Gang, executive director for CRF.
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