Major restoration work is getting underway at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial/Northcoast Aerial Images

Nearly $50 million is being invested in major infrastructure, deferred maintenance, and visitor service projects at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial in Ohio.

One of the projects will repair and restore the park’s seawalls. The seawalls protect the memorial from wave action, ice push, and effects of climate change. Started this spring, the project should extend the seawall life cycle up to 40 years.  

The construction contract for the seawall project was awarded for $25 million and is being funded through the National Park Service’s Line-Item Construction program, which addresses the repair or replacement of high priority facilities in national parks.  

The other project will restore the structure that supports the upper plaza and will begin in 2023. This project is estimated at over $20 million and will address critical structural degradation, make the restrooms and plaza spaces compliant with current accessibility standards, update building utility systems to meet current demands, and address condensation issues under the plaza and within the column. Historic materials will be reused to retain the character of the plaza. The surrounding parking and sidewalks will also be updated to improve visitor access to the memorial.  

The upper plaza project is being financed through the Great American Outdoors Act’s National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund. Supported by revenue from energy development, the fund provides the National Park Service with up to $1.3 billion per year for five years to make significant enhancements in national parks to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for current and future visitors. GAOA is part of a concerted effort to address the extensive maintenance backlog in the national parks.  

Together the two projects will help protect the monument for future generations and improve the visitor access and experience of the site.