The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
GET READY FOR GROWTH
Mayor is thrilled with investments
By Richard Payerchin rpayerchin@morningjournal.com @MJ_JournalRick on Twitter
“.. I think the folks in Elyria have resurrected their pride in this community.”
Business opportunities are growing around the Midway Mall, Ely Square and the Chestnut Commons shopping center, said Elyria Mayor Holly Brinda. And there are a number of public and private projects taking place in other parts of the city as well, said Brinda, who delivered her annual Mayor’s Address on Feb. 19 at Wesleyan Village in a joint meeting of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce and Elyria Rotary Club. “The really good news is that we see private investment following public investment,” Brinda said. Her address included a lengthy list of school, business and city infrastructure programs. Some are finished, including the city’s bicentennial in 2017, and are creating fertile ground for growth, the mayor said. “How many cities can say this
— Elyria Mayor Holly Brinda
much public investment is happening all at one time?” Brinda asked. “We’re so thrilled. I think the folks in Elyria have resurrected their pride in this community.” Elryia has strong taxpayer support for the schools, a growing library system and other public institutions, “and it’s being demonstrated every day with orange barrels,” she said. “There’s a little bit of frustration, there’s construction going on all over the city, but it’s great news for Elyria,” Brinda said. “For a 202-year old city to be able to replace many of these institutions and our roads and bridges and streets, is very important.” Downtown The Elyria Public Library System will built a new facility at East Avenue and Broad Street and will be a “catalytic project” for downtown, Brinda said. The South Branch of the Elyria Public Library will be replaced at 340 15th St. Library leaders received Brinda’s fifth annual award of the Key to the City. Elyria Public Library System Director Lyn Crouse and board President Gerald Crum accepted the award. Downtown Elyria is designated as a qualified opportunity zone as allowed by the 2018 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, Brinda said. The designation lasts for 10 years and allows investors to defer federal capital gains taxes until the end of 2026, with other tax incentives. “If you’re one of those individuals who are looking for a way to make an investment and save on your capital gains taxes, we’d love to speak with you,” Brinda said. Nine downtown buildings have been purchased by private developers and the Erie Island Coffee Co. will open this year on Ely Square.
Midway Mall
The state Route 57 and 49th Street bridge project was completed in 2018, one of the finishing touches for reconfiguring the intersection of Route 57 and Interstate 90. “So once we got through the majority of the highway project, we are seeing some development beginning to happen,” Brinda said. The Courtyard by Marriott opened in 2018 near the highway interchange. Johnny K’s Powersports opened at the former Macy’s building at the Midway Mall and has become a regional destination store, drawing shoppers from other counties and states, Brinda said. “Let me just say, one of our strategies in this area is to try to attract businesses that have a regional audience,” she said. “We want folks who can’t necessarily be duplicated in other malls or retail areas.” Across from the mall, Car Parts Warehouse has moved into the former Walmart, and Designer Fashion Warehouse has taken over the former Office Max. The city is working with mall owner Namdar to embrace a mall redevelopment plan, and other owners for new uses for properties such as Dillards, Sears and Sears Automotive. Chestnut Commons At Chestnut Commons, it was unclear if city leaders 10 years ago saw the growth that would explode there once Walmart moved in, Brinda said. “Quite honestly, it’s development that’s going to happen no matter what we do,” she said. “We just have to figure out how to best manage it, and so, that’s what we’re doing right now.” The city has a tax increment financing, or TIF, district to pay for public improvements around Chestnut Commons and it is doing well, returning money to Midview Local Schools, Brinda said. The city has annexed 36 acres to the south for a planned mixed-use development and there is more growth coming to the north, she said. “We are currently working with landowners and developers to address the expanding water and sewer needs and improve the traffic patterns before new development begins,” Brinda said. “We know that the traffic is a challenge out there, and some people just avoid it, some people work around it. “But the good news is we do think we have a more affordable alternative.” A traffic project is “quite complicated,” but it will unfold in the first quarter of the year, she said.
Other projects
• The East Side Relief Sewer project has been a major project that is inconvenient but needed, Brinda said. It is part of the city’s consent decree with the federal government regarding Elyria’s sewerage and it will help with basement flooding, she said. In 2019, residents can expect the next phase to extend south of Poplar Street and Abbe Road, Brinda said. “That is going to be a feat like you’ve never seen because we’re going to have to dig under North Abbe Road and under state Route 57, and also the turnpike,” Brinda said, referring to the Ohio Turnpike. “It is a massive, massive project.” Not all traffic lanes will close, Brinda said, but drivers should expect congestion. “This is going to be epic,” she said. “It’s necessary, it’s required and bear with us. “It will be better when we’re done, but it’s going to be very challenging.” • Valley of the Eagles golf course, 1100 Gulf Road, has opened and was designated the 2018 Best U.S. Remodel by Golf Magazine, Brinda said. • Brinda, a former Elyria City School board member and president, noted the school district has broken ground on the new Ely Elementary and Northwood schools. Meanwhile, Lorain County Community College has received the Award for Excellence in Student Success from the American Association of Community Colleges. “All that being said, education is strong in Elyria,” Brinda said. • Elyria has 360 acres of parks and has seen investment in Cascade and Elywood parks. West Park and South Park received new spray parks, while the North Park Ice Arena has new lockers and a new Zamboni machine, Brinda said. • The Ely Square fountain replacement project will start this year. That was planned during the bicentennial as another way to honor the history of the city. • University Hospitals has announced plans to invest $11 million in the Elyria hospital, with expansions to support its institutes dealing with the cardiovascular system, sports medicine neurology, digestive health, urology and pain management. • The city’s financial health is improving, Brinda said. Elyria ended 2018 with a budget carryover of $3.35 million, the largest amount of the last five years, she said. Income tax collections last year topped $30 million, which was more than in 2017, Brinda said.