Old amusement park purchased for $2.1 million

The site of the former Chippewa Lake Amusement Park, which will become a future public park, sold for $2.1 million, Medina County Park District officials confirmed Friday. Chippewa Lake Properties Inc. sold the just under 95-acre site to the district on June 15 for less than its appraised value. The purchase agreement includes all mineral rights and lake privileges associated with the property. The park district purchased the adjacent 340-acre Chippewa Lake with a Clean Ohio Grant in 2007. Medina County Park District Director Nathan Eppink said public access to the site is at least two years away. In the meantime, the park district will work on a master plan and seek grant funding to support development of the park. Reforestation, along with restoration of wetlands, will begin as soon as possible to help improve the water quality of the lake, which has been plagued by toxic algal blooms since at least 2014. Last year, the park district began a pilot program to help alleviate future algal blooms at the lake. Israel-based Blue Green Water Technologies Ltd. applied a chemical compound to the lake's water called Lake Guard. It was the first time the chemical had been used in the U.S. The product is used commercially in Israel, China and South Africa. Chippewa Lake Mayor Joanne Dodaro called the deal "good for our village." "I like knowing that the amusement park property is owned by the park district and that it will help protect the lake," she said in a statement. The amusement park opened in 1875 and had gone through several owners before closing in 1978. Many site structures have been demolished since 2009 but as of late 2018, rides including the Ferris wheel, Little Dipper roller coaster and flying cages were still standing. The 94 acres are now mostly vacant land. The park district said Friday that it will preserve the remnants of the Ferris wheel and other historical relics that remain on the property, "We're really excited to tell the story of the amusement park," Eppink said. "We want to make it a fun place to be, like it once was."