At Irishtown Bend, the (literal) heavy lifting is almost done, laying the groundwork for a park

CLEVELAND — From the breezeway at Riverview Tower, on the 10th floor near his apartment, Brian Brown has a sweeping view of all the change at Irishtown Bend.

Over the last few years, he’s watched workers tear down buildings, clear brush and move massive amounts of dirt to shore up the shaky slope above the Cuyahoga River.

That $65 million stabilization project is almost done now, set for completion early next year. Sprays of wildflowers dotting the hillside hint at what’s next: A 25-acre park that Brown and his neighbors at Riverview, a 506-unit public-housing complex, will be able to reach from the high-rise’s back door.

“I’ll probably get out there every day that I’m able to walk,” said Brown, who is 65 and uses a cane because of his arthritis. “At least, try to get two, three miles.”