The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lorain, Elyria growth ongoing
Mayor Bradley: Renewed efforts needed to help engage youths
Young people are the key to Lorain’s future and the city administration will focus on new opportunities for them this year, said Mayor Jack Bradley.
Litigation, new construction and economic development all were part of 2020 — even as Lorain dealt with the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
After a shooting tragically claimed the life of a teen in Lorain’s Oakwood Park, city officials will continue searching for ways to engage youth and keep them safe, Bradley said.
He called it the thing he is most
proud of to emerge in 2020.
“My goal for this coming year is that the citizens understand, when you feel like the crime rate is too high, that too many people have guns, that Lorain is not a safe place to be, well you’ve got to be willing to put a little bit of your assets into the game,” Bradley said. “We’ve got to give back to our youth, and believe me, if we give to them, they will give back to us; that’s our future.”
He pledged the city will work with Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield in the future.
The two mayors both spoke March 4 in a joint Elyria-Lorain State of the City Address, held in conjunction with the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, Elyria and Lorain Rotary Clubs and a number of business sponsors.
A handful of people gathered at the Lorain County Community College’s Spitzer Conference Center, but more than 250 people logged in to watch online.
That precaution was necessary to avoid large public gatherings due to COVID-19.
Helping young people
Parks and recreation are important, but “it’s almost shameful what we have” in Lorain, compared to Elyria and other cities, Bradley said.
The city this year will survey residents to discover what they want in their parks and if they will pay to help improve the green spaces, the mayor said.
“Because if you have activities for the youth to be involved in, they’re less likely to get in trouble,” Bradley said.
The city also hopes to work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County to create an e-sports program.
Many parents get upset when their children spend time playing video games, Bradley said.
But, young people can learn preparation, teamwork and how to cooperate with each other. Colleges are giving scholarships for e-sports, Bradley said.
In the neighborhoods
The city of Lorain has worked with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to release more than $2 million available to the city through the federal HOME program, Bradley said.
At least some of that money will help residents pay for improvements to their homes.
The city has demolished about 40 blighted houses that ruin neighborhoods, Bradley said.
Along West 21st Street, a contractor has demolished the former St. Joseph Community Center, a sign of good faith that the owners of that site are committed to future development, he said.
This year, Lorain aims to start a $1 home program, selling houses for $1 if buyers can show a plan to rehabilitate the structures, Bradley said.
Out of court
Lorain has settled lawsuits involving utility issues with Lorain County and the
Hidden Valley Subdivision of Amherst Township, Bradley said.
The city will settle a dispute with its management staff over work hour and pay issues.
“I don’t like to go over here anymore,” Bradley said, displaying a photo of the Lorain County Justice Center.
Before he was elected, Bradley worked for years as a criminal defense attorney.
“That was my home for a number of years,” he said.
Future development
The city administration will focus on ABCD — asset-based community development, Bradley said.
“In the city of Lorain, it’s not going to be, we need this, we need that, we need, we need,” Bradley said. “No.”
The city will not talk about needs, but will focus on assets and develop those, he said.
After years of sitting empty, the city has contracts for at least two tenants for the Riverbend Commerce Park south of Colorado Avenue on the east side, Bradley said.
Those deals are not finished yet, but other developers have expressed interest and it’s a move in the right direction.
New buildings
In 2020, Lorain opened up the city’s new Central Service Complex at 2132 West Park Drive, and the new Fire Station No. 7 at Kolbe Road and West Erie Avenue.
The Service Complex has been the site of drive-thru coronavirus vaccine clinics, so it is more than just garage space and a salt dome, Bradley said.
Charter Commission
Bradley is one of 15 elected members of the Lorain Charter Commission.
“It’s almost like being one of the Founding Fathers, where we’re putting together something that we want to offer to the community as a new form of government,” he said.
Some members cite the U.S. Constitution as an example to look at because it has been around for more than 200 years.
But reading the Constitution, “a lot of it was pretty flawed” and it has been amended, Bradley said.
The Charter Commission will try to keep the charter simple and citizens will have a choice about it, Bradley said.
The Commission must present a charter for the November election.