Tourism Committee pitches plan for more events to spark downtown

More events to attract visitors could be an economic spark for downtown Lorain, said local supporters who want to boost tourism in the city.

Members of the Lorain Growth Corp. Tourism Committee pitched their ideas in the Oct. 6 breakfast meeting of the LGC Downtown Business Consortium, a group of merchants and residents who aim to revitalize Broadway and the city.

Committee Treasurer Gail Bonsor introduced Gary Patzke, a new Tourism Committee

member. A Sheffield Lake resident, Patzke and photographer Lora Mosier are renovating 734 Broadway to become their artistic studio and offices.

The committee mission is to increase the economic growth of Lorain by increasing the number of people who visit the city, Patzke said.

Travel and tourism is a $38 billion business in Ohio, Patzke said, citing state figures from 2013.

In Erie County, tourism spurred sales worth $1.5 billion in 2013, compared to $499 million for Lorain County. Erie County has Cedar Point and other attractions, but “Ottawa County piggybacks on that draw and so should we,” Patzke said, referring to Erie County’s coastal western neighbor.

Patzke and Bonsor proposed the theme of Lorain, “Your Lake Erie Getaway Close to Home.”

The message explicitly links Lorain to Lake Erie, much like the Erie Islands

are associated with the lake.

It also signals a transition from Lorain’s industrial heritage to its future in tourism, Patzke said.

The theme also emphasizes the close proximity to population centers. For tourists coming from Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown, Lorain is closer to them than Put-inBay, he said.

Lorain could capitalize on existing attractions such as the Mile Long Pier, Black River Landing and Lakeview Park. The city could appeal to “urban gentry” to revitalize central Lorain

neighborhoods much like Ohio City, Tremont and Hough in Cleveland, Patzke said.

The committee aims to host events and has found success with the Cabela’s fishing tournaments, BrewFest Waterfront District and the International Tree & Model Train Display for the Christmas season at Black River Landing.

Not every gathering and festival has to be huge, but they must be frequent enough to generate sustained interest in the city, Patzke said.

He and Bonsor suggested

using BrewFest as a model for the development of other events.

Patzke said he and Mosier, a photographer, enjoyed the FireFish Festival and it inspired them to acquire the building on Broadway.

“We saw the direction it was heading and we wanted to be part of it,” Patzke said about the city.

The city also needs a presence on the web dedicated specifically to Lorain, Patzke said. The website loraintourism.com has started for that purpose, he said.