Two concepts unveiled for Burke Lakefront's potential redevelopment | Reporters Roundtable

Preliminary ideas were released this week by the North Coast Waterfront Development Corp. outlining possible uses for Burke Lakefront Airport if it is decommissioned, a move supported by the mayor and county executive. A large lakefront park. Walking trails. A downtown campground. Hotels. Perhaps a nine-hole golf course. Are these transformative ideas? Nothing close to a formal proposal has emerged. In Akron, a master plan is now in place for redevelopment of the abandoned Innerbelt, which bisected a once-thriving Black neighborhood decades ago. The plan would restore the area as a neighborhood, with 4,500 new homes and space for local businesses. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are now patrolling terminals at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, deployed as funding for the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration remains in flux amid a congressional dispute. However, Hopkins has not experienced the disruptions seen at other airports, such as Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. It is also unclear what role the agents are playing in Cleveland. The Ohio House voted to ban drag performances in locations where children may be present, effectively ending events such as library drag story hours. Meanwhile, the Ohio Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of House Bill 68, which bans gender-affirming medications and non-surgical treatments for transgender minors. The law passed in 2023 and took effect in 2024 after the Legislature overrode Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto. Guests: - Zaria Johnson, Environment Reporter, Ideastream Public Media - Josh Boose, Supervising Producer - Newscasts, Ideastream Public Media - Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau Chief, Ohio Public/Radio TV