In the 1990’s, The Progressive Insurance Corporation built two campuses: one west of I-271 and a second campus south of Wilson Mills and west of North Chagrin Reservation and SOM Center Road.

Hidden in the area between I-271 and SOM was a wetland that performed a vital function for the community: absorbing floodwater and providing a home for wildlife. By law, the wetland had to be mitigated if given over for development. However, Village officials and Progressive’s representatives negotiated a multifaceted development agreement that combined their two properties (130+ acres) and re-divided them along different boundary lines. Progressive received the lesser number of acres, but netted the prime land fronting on I-271. The Village acquired the wetlands and substantial park lands. Engineering firm, URS Greiner presented a unique way to mitigate the isolated wetland areas by increasing their sizes and enhancing the quality of the largest wetland area.

In 1998, a volunteer group formed the “Mayfield Village Wetlands Committee” to help plan the management and use of the wetland and to determine how the preserve could be enhanced for use in the future.

The Mayfield Village Wetlands preserves a 24-acre wetland stream corridor. It combines three distinct habitats: wetland, meadow and forest, making it particularly rich in the diversity of wildlife it attracts. To make the wetland visitor-friendly, a one-mile loop trail was constructed on the outside perimeter of the preserve. Unique to this wetland is its function in filtering the surface water runoff from the nearby pool parking lot. Several vernal pools were created to provide habitat for amphibians and increase water storage capacity.