Church of God Installs Greenway Connector

Pedestrians using the greenway have a new attraction and an additional way to enter and exit the linear park.

Officials of the Church of God recently authorized the construction of a connector to the greenway which leads to the International Offices’ Prayer Garden. The Garden, which includes a circular walking path, benches, sculptures, an eternal flame and scriptures etched in stone, was installed in the summer of 2004 when the Church of God expanded the campus to include two new 30,000 square-foot office buildings. The Garden is the centerpiece of the three building campus.

“Part of the vision of the greenway is to have connectors or ‘spurs’ of this type along the way,” stated Matthew Brown, chairman of the Greenway Committee. “The Church of God was one of the first to be on board with the greenway when they allowed Phase I to cross the western portion of their campus. Donation of this new connector is another example of their support for and leadership of the project.”

The connector consists of two sidewalks designed to allow pedestrians to leave the greenway, walk the Prayer Garden and then return on the other side. Visitors are invited to enjoy the circular path, rest, meditate or even exit the Greenway on Harris Circle if desired. Installation of the sidewalks also opens two new access points of the greenway. The public is invited to use the parking areas at the lower ends of either the Church Ministries Center or Leadership and Communications Center. The connector is completely ADA accessible.

“We are glad we could make this happen,” stated Scot Carter, director of communications for the Church of God and a member of the Greenway Board. “The Prayer Garden is a pleasant detour and fits so well with the greenway concept. We hope everyone will feel welcome to walk through.”

The implementation of the connector is another example of corporate partnership with the greenway. Last summer the Home Depot funded a quarter mile section between Paul Huff Parkway and Mohawk Drive. Businessman Ben Moore donated much of the land for Phase II and Cleveland Utilities recently announced their intentions to work with the greenway when they install a new storage tank near Mimosa this summer. Other partners have funded bridges, benches, waste containers and picnic areas.

Brown said other spurs off of the greenway are in the works, including one which takes in downtown Cleveland, Lee University and historic sites. To learn more about how to partner with the greenway, visit the Web site at www.cbcgreenway.com.