Former Quarry Site, Reimagined as an Adventure Recreation Park, Demonstrates the Benefits of Industrial Site Regeneration

The Quarry Trails Metro Park embraces natural and post-industrial features for adventure recreation integrated with a sustainable residential and mixed use development.

The Quarry Trails Metro Park will provide a variety of active and passive recreation offerings and visitor opportunities for approximately 223 acres of former quarry along the west bank of the Scioto River, approximately five miles north of downtown Columbus. 

The project is led by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, a public agency serving the citizens of Central Ohio by providing a regional system of clean, safe, natural area parks with 27,700 acres of land in seven Central Ohio counties.

The Marble Cliff facility was once the largest contiguous quarry in the United States, providing limestone that was processed for a century and used to construct the buildings and roads of Central Ohio. The quarry is located within five miles of 350,000 residents, fulfilling a need for access to a Metro Park in this area. Regional and local access is easily provided by the innerbelt highway, local arterials, the Scioto River, and planned bike trails.

An integrated private development within the footprint of the greater park, known as the QT, has been master planned and designed in conjunction with the park, offering restaurants and office, single and multi-family residential. The new Metro Park will be the defining feature and amenity for residents and guests of the master planned adjacent development. This unique arrangement is accomplished by way of a partnership formed between Thrive Companies and the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks.

Altogether, the Quarry Trails site is 607 acres. The mixed-use development will occur on an 80-acre parcel located on the Southern edge of the site. Metro Parks owns 180 acres directly West and North from the Thrive Companies’ land. Metro Parks is also set to receive a 40-acre dedicated tract of land adjacent to the Scioto River for passive trails and future regional bikeway connections. Thrive Companies also owns a ±250-acre parcel on the Northern portion of the site. This parcel is subject to a mineral lease and will remain an active, low-intensity quarry until the operator vacates, leaving Thrive Companies with additional development opportunity and Metro Parks with additional parkland.

Planning of private development occurred in coordination with the park. Planning integrates “greenway” corridors through proposed neighborhoods to physically connect the Southern Basins directly to the River Corridor for park users and residents, while providing naturalized, sustainable stormwater runoff accommodations from this private development.

Greenways provide direct access to inward facing homes, with garages accessed from internal alleys. These corridors provide stormwater management, gathering opportunities, and direct east-west connections to the park and its trail network.

The Southern Basins takes advantage of two existing groundwater fed lakes to host water-based activities connected through a newly created channel that will tie into the Scioto River. Hydrologic modeling informed decisions to remove an earthen levee, relocate a previously-diverted natural stream, and take on filtered stormwater from the proposed development.

Southern Basins - Spillway to the Scioto: Lower Pond at Pedestrian Bridge

The Middle Tier focused programming the extreme topography with rock climbing, mountain biking, and high adventure playgrounds, with shelters and overlooks that take advantage of dramatic views of a 130’ tall limestone cliff. An outdoor entertainment/activity venue and winter sports are also accommodated.

Lastly, the 40-acre River Corridor provides an extension and connection to the regional bikeways, becoming a catalyst to extend other trails from the north and south to and through the park, in addition to watercraft connections and transit. This corridor also provides opportunities for overlooks to the Scioto River.

Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks continues to demonstrate creative thinking in bringing a wide array of unique recreation opportunities to all central Ohioans in convenient locations and on spectacular sites. Their partnering with such progressive developers as Thrive, is emblematic of true public-private partnering that advances this community forward.