Former West Dayton amusement park site is an attraction once more

The lake fell on hard times after that, and its shoreline and surrounding green space became overrun with trash.

Honeysuckle and other invasive plants also marred the beauty and blocked the view of the lake from homes in the Pineview neighborhood, which sits at one of the highest elevations in the city, according to the city officials.

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Volunteers, including residents of the nearby Lakeview and Pineview neighborhoods and local unions members, over the course of six months worked to clean up the shoreline and areas around the lake.

They’ve cleared out honeysuckle, removed tons of litter and even discovered a car in the lake that was removed.

The renewal of the lake has reached another level with the addition of a floating fishing pier and two new iron benches.

The new amenities will reconnect local residents to the spring-fed lake, which continued to be used by some fishing enthusisats even when it was in awful condition, officials say.

The new pier and benches, and the labor needed to build and install them, have been donated by the Ohio AFL-CIO, the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance and the Ironworkers Local 290. The lake cleanup and restoration was selected as the alliance’s and Ohio AFL-CIO’s annual conservation project.

The initial costs of the first and second phases of the project is about $150,000.