City plan features jobs, fun and work

City hopes in weeks to have next Mentor Rocks schedule together

Mentor leaders likely are smiling when they look back at 2019.

“From an economic development standpoint, we are very proud of the investments made by De Nora Tech, Heilind Electronics, Meijer and Menards, among others, which have resulted in hundreds of jobs in our community,” Mentor Community Relations Administrator

Ante Logarusic said.

“Our International Trade Initiative continues to make advances on trade opportunities in the United Kingdom, Germany,

Spain, Croatia and other international markets,” he added.

Entertainment offerings were a highlight as well, with plenty of crowd-pleasing activities. Events at Mentor Civic Center Park, especially related to the Mentor

Civic Amphitheater, drew more than 100,000 people in 2019.

“We are delighted with the success of that facility and are excited for the future,” Logarusic said. “We are currently working on our 2020 Mentor Rocks schedule, which should be announced in February at the Mentor State of the City address.”

The investment in infrastructure improvements continued to be a big priority for the city with substantial projects, including the ongoing Headlands area road rehabilitation with the reconstruction of Orchard Road as well as the resurfacing of Wake Robin and Glenn Lodge.

“In addition to Marigold, over seven lane miles of roadway have already been rehabilitated in the area,” he said.

Belle Meadow is scheduled for reconstruction in 2020. Other upcoming road projects planned include:

• Repaving of Center Street between Route 2 and Munson Road

• Repaving/overlay of Tyler Boulevard between Route 306 and Heisley Road

• Additional lane expansion of Diamond Centre Drive

That is in addition to Mentor’s annual road repair program, which involved full-depth concrete repairs or asphalt overlays performed on nearly two dozen streets in 2019.

Work will continue full steam ahead in the new year with plans for installation of about 700 linear feet of revetment at the Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve in 2020 to further protect the shoreline from erosion. This will add to the 600 linear feet already installed near the marina channel entry.

This winter, the city also plans to begin replacing 650 linear feet of 90-yearold bulkhead within the marina docking space. Another

19,000-plus feet requires replacement.

Construction on Mentor’s new regional Emergency Operations Center behind Fire Station 4 on Reynolds Road is scheduled to commence in 2020 as well.

“It will serve as a centralized staging location for vital safety equipment which serves Mentor and neighboring communities,” Logarusic said.

In regard to recreation, the city plans to add amenities to its new passive park, on Heisley Road.

“Visitors to our Springbrook Park will see a new pavilion, picnic shelters and other improvements this year as our beautiful 53-acre park continues to evolve,” he said.

Construction on Mentor’s new regional Emergency Operations Center behind Fire Station 4 on Reynolds Road is scheduled to commence in 2020 as well.