The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Group: City has bright future
The recent Lorain Growth Corporation’s Main Street Consortium breakfast meeting touched on the promising future that the city has to look forward to.
The May 4 meeting in the Palace Theater focused on upcoming projects and what the city needs to do.
“The streetscape project is the big project coming up,” said Jim Long, the president of Lorain Growth.
“The project, that will include wider sidewalks, improved lights, plants and trees, will beautify downtown and is a good thing for our city. I don’t think I’ve heard a bad comment about the project. I feel it will have a very positive effect on Lorain.”
Long said the project will be underway soon.
“Within 30 to 60 days it will get started,” he said. “The ultimate aim is to complete the project this year. That may not be possible, but a majority will definitely be done this year and the remainder will be done 2019.”
Long said a gymnasium is also on the horizon.
“It will be brought before the City Council May 14, and will be located at 301 W. Erie Ave. across from Lorain City Hall,” he said. “Lorain County Community College has already shown interest in using it as well as YWCA possibly coming in.”
Long said changes will continue to come as the city moves forward with these projects.
“The mayor and myself have had people calling us about certain buildings downtown,” he said. “Businesses are starting to come back to Lorain, and it is because they see the revitalization that is taking place and want to be a part of it. Starting this year, and moving into late 2019, people will start to see major changes, the likes of which haven’t been seen here in 30 years.”
Joel Arredondo, president of Lorain City Council, said he believes the city is on the right track.
“I feel we are starting to focus more on what we can do to make the city a place (where) people want to be,” he said.
“We need to make Broadway more of the activity center it used to be and still can be. The change happens not solely in government, but with the people that want to improve Lorain and the initiative from the citizens needs to continue. The future looks bright for the city and I look forward to it.”