The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
BRADLEY TOUTS CITY’S SUCCESS IN ADDRESS
Going into his second term, Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley said he has some big plans for the city.
Bradley met with citizens, Lorain city brass and Lorain City Schools students March 28 at the Lorain Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway in downtown Lorain,for his annual Mayor’s Address.
The event was sponsored by the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, and held in conjunction with the Lorain Rotary.
During the address, Bradley said Lorain County will be in the spotlight throughout the year, including on April 8 for the total solar eclipse.
In addition, he announced that the county officially will celebrate its bicentennial anniversary May 24.
As the leader of the county’s largest city, Bradley said he is thrilled to be able to celebrate such a landmark year for the area.
“I gave everyone that came today a coin,” he said. “On one side of the coin, was the eclipse, and I said that it’s a once in a lifetime thing to see this eclipse.
“We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to keep Lorain moving forward.”
Throughout the address, Bradley tackled the issue of possible safety concerns due to the eclipse.
Along with heightened security and police presence throughout the city and the county, he noted that the increase in tourists will be a massive boon to local business.
“The more, the better, because if it helps our businesses, (it helps us),” Bradley said. “It’s just like Rockin’ on the River; the bigger the crowd, the more fun.
“The more beer is sold, the more food trucks make, the more the businesses in Lorain benefit. We want to bring tourists to the city of Lorain.”
Bradley announced a variety of projects to start in 2024 during the address.
He said Broadway Commons, a $17 million investment to bring new apartments to Broadway and East 21st Street, is high on his list of concerns during his second term as mayor.
“We don’t believe that someone should not have the dignity
of having a roof over their head,” Bradley said. “I’m going to Washington, D.C., at the end of April … they wanted me to be part of the task force for the United States Council of Mayors to address the homelessness problem in our country.”
Bradley called Broadway Commons a “catalytic project” for the city as it moves into the future.
He noted that the new apartments will produce a sizable financial investment in that area of Broadway.
Bradley said perhaps the most urgent project on Bradley’s docket is starting the development of the city’s transportation system.
Development on the bus system soon will begin, he said.
“We definitely need to get this transportation program started,” Bradley said. “We’ve teamed up with the county and we’ve hired a company called Via, which actually is going to provide seven mini buses which will be traveling around the city of Lorain.
“It will cost around $2.50 to $3 a ride.”
The transportation project is slated to finish by 2027, according to Bradley.
Once complete, the city will sport a number of bus lines to different destinations, which have been organically chosen by the citizens of Lorain using data from the original mini buses.
“We’ll find out which spots seem to be the most popular, and which routes seem to be the most popular so we can integrate that into our active transportation plan starting in 2027,” Bradley said.
The mayor also said he is excited to begin work on this term’s projects.
As a lifelong citizen of Lorain, he said he is excited to continue to give back to the city he loves.
“It’s just my pleasure to serve, and again, I’m just so thankful that the citizens did approve the renewal levy,” Bradley said. “I think that that shows that they have faith in what we’re doing.
“I hope that I can continue to move the city forward.”