Jay C. Ehle - Clevelands Harbor: The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority

by A. F. Fugaro

There is no simple definition of what a port authority is. Across the country the organizations and purposes of port authorities vary from community to community. Some states, Maryland, Georgia, and Indiana, for example, have a statewide port authority. In New York Harbor, a bistate port authority operates the marine and air terminals within the area. On the other end of the spectrum, Washington State has over eighty port authorities within its limits.

In Ohio, all port authorities are created under a specific section of the Ohio Revised Code, yet no two of these authorities function in the same manner. Essentially, a port authority is a creation of the community and is what the community wants it to be.

At its inception, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority was looked on as a vehicle to achieve effective, professional management of lakefront maritime operations. As this account chronicles, the community expectations and the use of the port authority powers have evolved over the years.

With six directors appointed by the City of Cleveland and three by the county commissioners, the make-up of the Ports Board of Directors changes slightly each year as members are replaced. This evolving membership means that the emphasis, policies, or objectives of the Port Authority at any one point in time may also be subject to change.

As this history will show, the individuals appointed as directors have come from a wide variety of back grounds. Business leaders, labor leaders, attorneys, developers, religious leaders, community leaders, and shipping executives, among others, have all been appointed to the Port Authority. This variety has brought a wealth of insight and expertise to the deliberations and decisions of the Board. How well the community has benefited from this resource will be left to the judgment of the reader.

The year 1993 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Cleveland Port Authority. As the second quarter-century of existence has commenced, a more mature Authority with broader community perspectives has evolved. Nowhere is this more evident than in the economic development activities undertaken by the Port Authority in recent years. The expanded use of foreign trade zones and the increasing involvement in lakefront development are examples of the changing role of the Port Authority.

As this is being written, the Greater Cleveland area is seeing major projects come into being. Gateway Development saw its primary element, Jacobs Field and the adjacent Gund Arena, successfully inaugurated, and both are welcoming large crowds. On the lakefront, the international Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum opened under the aegis of the Port Authority. Yesterdays dreams are becoming todays realities.

Change and progress are clearly the words to describe the ambience of Cleveland. The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role as the lakefront and downtown areas move ahead. However, in order to progress, it is necessary to know where we are, how we got there, and where we want to go. This history is both timely and essential as the Port Authority plans for an exciting future.