City development on the horizon

Officials move to improve community development

Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail and the City Council are moving forward with a plan to contract with a strategy and communications consulting firm to create a community development corporation for the city.

According to discussions at the Oct. 28 Business Development, City Planning and Housing Committee meeting, CDCs are nonprofit organizations, not government entities, that are financed primarily through state funding and grants.

Some of the ser v ices they prov ide are communit y engagement events, support for new housing projects, and fostering economic development — among other social pro - grams.

“Strategy Design Partners bring a great depth of experience working with community based organizations across the region and I know we have many residents who are looking for ways to contribute as well!” — Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail

Councilman Kristian Jarosz is chair of the Business Development, City Planning and Housing Committee, and one of the council members helping to facilitate the contract with Strategy Design Partners. Jarosz said they had the idea to expand Euclid’s existing community development program several years ago, but it had to be put on hold.

He said that members of the committee have looked at existing CDCs in the area, such as Lakewood Alive and Future Heights out of Cleveland Heights, and he would like to emu

late similar citizen-driven programs in Euclid.

“We want the residents to drive the community improvements,” he said.

Jarosz said he knows there are many residents who are passionate about their community and have ideas on how to improve it, but may have not had an outlet to enact them. He emphasized he wants residents to be able to utilize the CDC to work on projects that matter to them.

“The best thing you can offer folks is autonomy,” Jarosz said.

Both Jarosz and Gail agreed that contrac ting with Strategy Design Partners will help them develop an overall plan and gauge what the local needs are through com

munity surveys, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups.

“Strategy Design Partners bring a great depth of experience working with community based organizations across the region and I know we have many residents who are looking for ways to contribute as well!” Gail said in a written statement.

“The initial steps will include creating a Steering Committee and developing a survey to get out to the community,” she added.

According to Jarosz, the i nitial push to get the CDC off the ground will be funded by block grants. He said there will likely be a plan to begin this process in about four months, if all goes accordingly.