Lorain Port Authority breaks ground on new Black River Landing stage (VIDEO)

LORAIN — Local officials broke ground on the next phase for Lorain's Black River Landing on Monday. The $11 million project will see the replacement of the amphitheater at the riverfront site with a new stage and permanent top, seating bowl and improved sight lines for visitors. It is funded in part by a $5 million bond, $995,000 each from the city and county's American Rescue Plan Act funds; $750,000 over five years from the Lorain County Visitors Bureau; $650,000 in philanthropic commitments; $500,000 from the state; and $250,000 from the Lorain Port Authority's budget. Lorain Port and Finance Authority Executive Director Tiffany McClelland highlighted the project, now several years in the making. "In May of 2026 you will be looking at a brand-new amphitheater stage constructed here," McClelland said. "The old Black River Landing will be gone and a new start to Lorain and this area will begin in 2026." The space's current stage, at just shy of 20 years old, was nearing the end of its lifespan, McClelland said, and the city's Port Authority is at a time it must invest in future infrastructure for Black River Landing. Black River Landing began its life as a railyard, servicing Lorain's steel and other industries along the waterfront. In the 1990s, Ling-Temco-Vought Steel donated 25 acres of the riverfront property to the Lorain Port Authority, which opened Black River Landing to the public in 2003. Architect Robert Maschke said talks about the space started in 2017, with a plan to improve the festival site's usability and natural beauty along the Black River. "Imagine a warm summer evening a year from now," Maschke said. "The hillside is filled with families, friends, and neighbors spread out on blankets. Music floats across the water, lights glow under the pavilion and the bridge frames the horizon — this feeling is what this project is all about: Creating moments that connect us." His firm, Robert Maschke Architects, designed the new festival site. Bialosky is the architecture firm of record. The firm was awarded the project in 2021. Lorain Port Authority Chairman Brad Mullins said Monday's ceremony marked a milestone for the Port and would not have been possible without support from the city, county, state and local philanthropic leaders like Bob Campana and Ben Norton Sr. "It really goes back to help Lorain become a destination, not a drive-through," he said. "People are going to come here, they want to see the stage, they want to see the different events." Those different events will go beyond Rockin' on the River, Mullins said, to be a variety of things to better use the more than 10 acres the festival site has to offer. "We've got a beautiful facility, Lorain's a beautiful area — we want everybody to see it," Mullins said. Port Authority Director of Operations Tom Brown, who was executive director until last year, said three quarters of the visitors to the site are from outside Lorain, drawn by the acts who played the "Old Grey Lady" of the current stage that has been the heart of the site since 2006. Friday marked the end of the 2025 Rockin' on the River season, and a final hurrah for the concrete structure. "We're really proud of that stage, we've had so many memories and we know there's going to be bigger, better memories coming," Brown said. Mayor Jack Bradley, County Commissioners Marty Gallagher and Dave Moore, and state Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, all hoped the upgrades would bring economic development and tourism to the International City. Campana implored local businesses to continue to support the fundraising effort behind the Port's project, noting "a rising tide lifts all ships." Norton shared a similar call to action, hoping to spur further philanthropy for the Port's site. Both men and their respective foundations donated to the Port's project. The Lorain Port and Finance Authority's bond for the upgrades will be repaid over 20 years via revenue from the site. The annual debt service will be about $384,000, split into two payments each year. Upgrades will continue beyond the new amphitheater. The Port Authority plans to construct a greenroom to accommodate larger out-of-town acts, and a connector between the festival site and Broadway. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.