The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mayor looks to continue city’s momentum
Willowick Mayor Rich Regovich has spent 2018 putting big plans for 2019 into motion.
Since taking in office in 2016, the mayor has had a vision of making the lakefront area in the city more accessible to all residents.
In October of 2017, the city applied for a Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative grant which they were awarded in March to work on a masterplan for development of the city’s lakefront property.
“It’s the connectivity. We want to open the lakefront to the people of Willowick so all people to access the lake,” Regovich said.
He described his vision of the lakefront with a boardwalk on the lake and retail and restaurants lining one side of it. He also would like to see condensed housing on Lakeshore Boulevard.
The plan would include some kind of development for all 12 acres of lakefront property in the city.
“It would help people be able to get to this area,” Regovich said. “It’s something I think for our future. The biggest asset we have in Wilowick is the lake and we need to take advantage of it.”
Regovich believes development of the lakefront is not just key to the city’s growth but also to the Vine Street Corridor collaboration he is working on with Eastlake and Willoughy.
According to the mayor, the lakefront development
and Vine Street are both not only exciting but the biggest things they have been working on now for over a year. Enough progress has been made that plans can start going down on paper where they show residents what they want to do.
Regovich has been busy working on trying to bring new businesses into the city. There’s a strong possibility the city could see a Dunkin Donuts on Vine Street by Willowick Drive in the spring.
Other businesses are moving onto Vine Street as well. According to Regovich, these are all things that impact the view and what it looks like in a positive way.
The city saw a few major staff changes this past year. Former Law Director Michael Lucas went to Willoughby, and Willowick hired Stephanie Landgraf to take his place. Landgraf is Willowick’s first female law director.
“I depend on my law directors greatly. They help navigate the waters and take care of a lot of things around here,” Regovich said. “I think the city benefits greatly from her knowledge and expertise.”
Additionally the city hired Monica Drake as the economic and development director.
Willowick has never had a person to focus specifically on economic growth and development. The mayor believes that has somewhat hindered the city’s growth.
Currently the mayor is looking at the city financials as his biggest challenge.
He believes it’s going to be rough to balance the budget without making some major cuts somewhere.
The mayor is hopeful that the city won’t have to lay off employees in 2019, but he says he can’t commit to that until he sees how things shake out with the budget.
“Our budget is our biggest concern and probably has been for the last few years.” Regovich said. “We will have to make some hard decisions on moving forward, on whether we go back to the ballot or whether we have to make some drastic cuts. We don’t know what that is yet but its something we have to look at to have healthy fiances for the city.”
The city’s projects currently planned for 2019 are to continue with the Lakefront and Vine Street Corridor development projects. Additionally they are looking into ways to get the community involved and help the businesses on 305th Street and Euclid Avenue.
Additionally, Regovich said he would love to see new senior living facilities in the community for the seniors citizens in Willowick who want to stay there but don’t want to have the upkeep and maintenance of a house.
Smaller scale plans for 2019 include the addition of new walls to the butterfly garden. The mayor’s challenge to the Royalview fifth-grade D.A.R.E. students this year is to raise money to add the walls.
For 2019, Regovich is looking forward to more growth and a continued momentum in Willowick.
“I think what we need is some new businesses, a new look and new vibrancy to spur other businesses,” he said. “2018 has been exciting and 2018 has gone by fast. It has been a positive year and I’m happy with what the city has done. It’s all been good signs of the future and I hope to capitalize on those kinds of things and keep the ship heading into the wind.”