Entertainment, tourism key to resurgence

Lorain leaders must devise a plan to fill the empty vacant store front buildings along Broadway.

Thousands of people flock to downtown Lorain weekly, primarily for entertainment.

Rockin’ on the River summer weekly concert series have started at the Black River Landing. The 51st installment of the International Festival starts June 20 and several activities will take place at Black River Landing.

The Cabela’s National Team Championship walleye tournament ended a three-day event June 10 where more than 250 teams from across the country participated.

By the way, two Ohio men Erick Williams of Hubbard and Sammy Cappelli of Poland, captured first place.

Williams told Morning Journal reporter Keith Reynolds that he enjoyed his time in Lorain and that the hospitality of the city was overwhelming.

Walleye tournament announcer Robert Cartlidge agreed with Williams saying there’s interest among the teams in returning to Lorain for future events.

But Lorain needs to be a place that offers more to guests when they visit the International City.

The city could become a tourist destination, especially in the summer.

An entertainment district already exists. Lorain has gems including the Lorain Lighthouse, Palace Theater, Lakeview Park Beach and the Lorain Historical Society, which operates the Carnegie Museum and the Moore House Museum.

With Lorain known as the International City, the downtown could have ethnic businesses and museums on Broadway and the numbered side streets. The businesses could sell all kinds of food, trinkets and souvenirs.

After all, Lorain has more than 50 different nationalities living inside city limits.

Other cities across the country focus on their diverse populations.

Just look at Philadelphia with its Reading Terminal Market. It’s one of the city’s top tourist attractions, along with the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

According to its website, the mission of Reading Terminal Market is to preserve the architectural and historical character and function as an urban farmers’ market to provide a wide variety of produce, meat, fish, bakery and dairy products, and other raw and prepared food, brought to a public market in the center of the city by farmers, growers, producers and chefs.

Reading Terminal Market wants to maintain an environment that recognizes and celebrates the diversity of its citizens and fosters their interaction, the website says.

And there’s Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

Its website says Pike Place Market is a vibrant neighborhood comprised of hundreds of farmers, craftspeople, small businesses and residents. Each group is an important and vital part of the makeup of the Pike Place Neighborhood.

In addition to preserving and protecting the historic buildings and character of the nine-acre historic district and serving as an incubator and supporter of farmers, artisans and small businesses, the Pike Place Market was chartered by the city of Seattle to provide services for low-income individuals.

Then there’s Orlando, Fla., also called the International City because of its residents. It’s one of the world’s most visited tourist destinations. It’s also nicknamed the Theme Park Capital of the World.

Lorain can borrow a little bit from Philadelphia, Seattle and Orlando and create its own identity.

Leaders need to focus on entertainment and utilizing the diversity of the citizens as it transforms.

All ideas should be considered. Everything from working with the movie industry to make films in Lorain to the Ferris wheel proposed by Lorain resident Marge Walker should be on the table.

Downtown Lorain is experiencing some improvements.

United Way of Lorain County is moving its headquarters to downtown. Lorain County Community Action Agency is staying downtown but moving into a more modern and updated location.

And Lorain’s Broadway streetscape project will get a $1.5 million financial boost from Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency,a regional planning agency.

On June 9, NOACA members approved the money for the $3.6 million plan to improve sidewalks, lighting, traffic flow and aesthetics of Broadway from 10th Street north to West Erie Avenue.

An elated Mayor Chase Ritenauer said, “This is a game changer, for sure.”

Lorain doesn’t have to be known as former industrial city on Lake Erie in between huge tourist attractions Cleveland and Sandusky.

Promoting Lorain’s diverse population and expanding entertainment can put the International City on the map.

The political rhetoric of America these days is deeply sick, afflicted with a zerosum tribalism