Dear Elyrians and Elyria Stakeholders,
Herein please find the 2013 – 2016 City of Elyria Economic Development Plan. The Plan is designed to act as a framework to help guide the City in its efforts to retain, expand and attract businesses, thus sustaining and creating jobs and growing our tax base. It is comprised of goals, objectives and specific strategies through 2016 that improve or expand the public infrastructure; expand the City’s economic development tools, structure, partnerships and plans; aims resources at Elyria’s target industries; creates a more business friendly climate; addresses safety issues; nurtures entrepreneurship and workforce training; and promotes Elyria to the region and the world. Many of the goals and objectives in this document have been aims of my administration since I took office 2.5 years ago. This Plan includes those initiatives as well as some ongoing elements from the Elyria 2015 Plan, and new elements that have emerged.
The plan is a framework and is designed to evolve and change as it becomes more informed by upcoming planning initiatives including but not limited to: (1) thegrant-funded Business District Market Analysis and Redevelopment Plan process for Downtown, Midway and Cleveland Street; (2) the grant-funded Syracuse University Mayors’ Institute Design Project; (3) the Elyria Parks and Recreation Department Master Plan process and the (4) Lorain County MetroParks Master Plan process; (5) Community Development’s Five-Year Consolidated Plan; and (6) the City of Elyria Strategic Plan updating process. All of these planning/design initiatives, complete with public engagement/public input processes, are expected to be completed in the next 18 months and will provide specificity to this framework. As the community and Elyria City Council participate in setting priorities, the plan and the outcomes will become more concrete.
Thank you in advance for your interest and for reviewing this document. I look forward to your input during the upcoming planning processes. As promised, we will also be creating benchmarks and a Report Card to be posted on our website so that you can measure our progress. I look forward to our ongoing dialogue about how working together, we can move Elyria forward.
Sincerely,
Mayor
