In Process or Pending
Economic Development Initiatives
Elyria Mayor as of October 23, 2017
($2.25 million available through
2020 – Already more than $2.89 million need identified prior to some major
project development that will require economic incentives)
Midway Mall Area
Macy’s Redevelopment
There is a request
for gap financing and an Enterprise Zone Abatement dependent on current negotiations
to bring new business headquarters to the Macys Building. Due to a confidentiality agreement signed by
the Elyria Community Improvement Corporation, the terms of the negotiations
cannot be disclosed. The total project
investment by proposed new owner is significant.
Status: Negotiations are in process.
Dilliards Building Possible
Donation/Demolition
$1 million is
needed (source to be determined) to demolish the Dilliards Building, which must
happen because of contaminate mold and other issues, and to make the property
re-developable. The owner has offered to
donate the building and associated 18 acres of property to the City of Elyria
or the Elyria Community Improvement Corporation for the tax write-off. There is currently $6,744.56 in back taxes
due on the property. The value in
accepting the property would to be for the Elyria Community Improvement
Corporation to control it for future development.
Status: City Council will determine if there is
interest in this project. Legal council
is currently determining if there is a way for the ECIC or the City to fund
this project – if the City decides with Council’s input that there is value in
doing that. The issue will be presented
to Elyria City Council in November.
Market-Rate Residential Development
Contiguous to Midway Mall
$24,000 will
be spent of Issue 6 funds to develop the initial design work for a market-rate
residential development near Midway Mall.
This will help satisfy recommendations in the recent Jeff Green &
Partners Highest Best Use Study and Feasibility Plan that recommended more residential
investment in the area. Elyria City
Council will receive a presentation by Carnegie Management, Great Lakes
Development Partners and Markovich and Pusti Architects on November 6. The Mayor would like their input before she
proceeds.
Re-development of Former Mountain
Jacks Property
The Elyria
Community Improvement Corporation has engaged Coldwell Banker in a 12-month
contract to market the former Mountain Jacks property as a combination
restaurant and party center to serve the new hotels in the area. The property is listed at $400,000 and
payment for services is dependent on the sale of the property. If the property is not sold by July 2018, the
City plans to issue an RFP to design the project to assist in the development
process. This is not being done
initially because it is believed there is already interest in the project. The ultimate project will likely require
economic incentives from the City of the Elyria Community improvement
Corporation.
Development of New Former 49th
Street Bridge Property
An estimated
$30,000 of issue 6 funds will be spent with O.R. Colan on a study being
commissioned this month to determine the value of property acquired by the City
from the SR57/49th Street Bridge reconfiguration. The City received
clearance in late September from ODOT to develop the properties on the east
side of the SR57/49th Street Bridge highway reconfiguration project. This includes 12 excess properties located
east of SR57, west of Tillotson Street, north of Midway Boulevard and south of
Griswold Road. A request for clearance
to develop acreage on the west side has been made and a decision is
pending. Once the study is complete, the
Mayor will be recommending that the property be transferred into the Elyria
Community Improvement Corporation and an RFP be issued for the development of
the property. Funds generated by the
sale of the property can help fuel the future endeavors of the CIC.
Downtown Elyria
Conversion of Washington Avenue
Parking Lot to Mixed-Use Development
$24,000 of
Issue 6 funds will be spent to develop a downtown mixed-use project that would
house a restaurant, higher-end apartments, and some retail and office
space. It would include ground-level and
possibly under- ground parking. The
project is a five-story building to be located on the current city-owned
Washington Avenue Parking Lot. It would
capitalize on the view of the East Falls and the Black River. It is in response to the JumpStart Elyria
study that recommended access to more apartment housing. Elyria City Council will receive a
presentation by Carnegie Management, Great Lakes Development Partners and
Markovich and Pusti Architects on November 6.
The Mayor would like their input before she proceeds.
Kimberly Plaza on the Square
$15,000 will
be spent on improvements to accommodate a new business in Kimberly Plaza, the
former Men’s Shop, that was accepted by the Elyria Community Improvement
Corporation as a donation. While
the building is in excellent shape, there were physical accommodations that
need to be made to accommodate the new business - $10,000 for wall
reconfiguration and $5,000 to replace the air conditioning unit.
Status: The law department and the ECIC legal counsel
are deciding on the source and flow of the funds to accomplish this.
Other Pending Downtown Projects
There are
currently an estimated $18 million of public and private economic development
projects – not involving Issue 6 funds - either recently completed or in the
process in downtown. Two federal grants
are being used to improve lighting, streetscapes, crosswalks, bike lanes,
pedestrian walkways and signage. Federal, state and local revenue are
responsible for improvements to Middle Avenue, Third Street, East Avenue, and
part of West Avenue. Pioneer Plaza and
the Elyria Arts Council were created with the support of two State
Appropriations. Other projects include
the courthouse rehabilitation, McDonalds,
a new law office, and more. Three
investors have purchased and are in various processes of renovating eight of
downtown’s most challenged buildings. Meetings
have been held with several downtown businesses encouraging them to apply for
either CDBG or ECIC revolving loan fund money to make improvements to their
buildings. We are waiting for them to
apply. The City has also requested that
McDonalds Corporation donate the vacated property on Broad Street to the Elyria
Community Improvement Corporation for re-development.
Chestnut Commons Area Development
& Traffic Reconfiguration
The City of
Elyria is, and has been, working with a developer, the county and contiguous
communities at the intersection of SR57 and Chestnut Ridge to address both
traffic and future development concerns, issues and opportunities. A traffic study was completed and the City is
waiting to see if an annexation request initiated by the developer with support
from the city is awarded by the county so the city can “right size” the
appropriate traffic reconfiguration and infrastructure response. Waiting until we understand the full scope of
the development is important as the traffic and infrastructure response will be
expensive: in the range of $5-$6 million.
The City of Elyria is committed to ultimately resolving the traffic
issues in the area and working with the developer, the county and Eaton
Township to create the best possible case scenario for the inevitable
development that is likely to expand to I480.
Economic Development Technology
& Support Projects
City Website Re-design
$28,500 of
Issue 6 funds is currently being spent on a redesign of the city website and
one year of service. The company
commissioned is called Revize and is working with the Mayor’s Office and the IT
Department on the project that is scheduled to be completed in April 2018. All departments and City Council will be
invited to provide input related to their respective areas. An additional $5,400 annual maintenance
annual contract will be available at the end of the second year.
Economic Development Software
$4,550 of
Issue 6 funds was spent on Xcelligent Software, a tool used by the City to
provide commercial property seekers with detailed information about available
properties in the city.
$12,000 of Issue 6 funds will be spent in
April 2018 on the purchase of 12 modules of a proprietary economic development
software tool that will help the city and potential buyers and developers: (1)
Review the Business Climate; (2) Discovery Industry Trends; (3) Research Their Customers;
(4) Analyze Competition; (5) Uncover Local Opportunities; (6) Search Available
Properties; (7) Find Additional Resources; (8) Identify Land Use/Zoning
Controls; (9) Examine the Environment; (10) Evaluate the Workforce); (11)
Identify Community Facilities; (12
Locate Utilities). These modules will
be added as part of the new website.
Economic Development Director Search
In the range
of $85,000 or more of Issue 6 funds will have to be spent on hiring a new
Economic Development Director for the City of Elyria. The City is currently on its second search
process in 12 months. An offer in the
initial search was made and declined because of what was perceived as a low
salary for this position. The second
search will conclude in November. The
Mayor is currently taking on the majority of these responsibilities, with some
support assistance from Community Development.
Economic &
Workforce Development
“Elyria Works Now” Workforce
Development Initiative
$1 million (source
to be determined) will be needed to take this project to scale for three years. Over
the past two months the Mayor has been working with 15 community partner
organizations to develop a Bloomberg Foundation Mayor’s Challenge Project to
address the city’s most pressing issue.
The diverse group of community leaders chose to develop the project
below. It will be implemented to some
degree in 2018, pending a grant approval process in January 2018. The Bloomberg Foundation will award (35)
$100,000 grants, five $1 million grants later in the year, and one $5 million
grant. To pilot the project will cost
about $100,000 and to take it to the required scale would take about $1 million
over three years. The group is committed to moving this project forward at some
level regardless of the grant award by leveraging other funds.
Elyria will
lower its 22.2% poverty rate by 5% and close the employment gap between
companies facing labor shortages and residents who are underemployed or
actively seeking work. We will accomplish this by creating Elyria Works Now, a
new collaboration of industry, education, government, non-profit, for-profit,
and faith-based stakeholders that will provide connectivity, support, education,
training and access to higher paying jobs.
Pilot Employers will commit to employment goals, “screen-in” and
family-friendly policies, and working with community partners to integrate
wrap-around services responding to Individual Development and Career
Plans.
Target
populations include graduating and recently graduated high school seniors
without career paths (estimated 160) and under-employed adult residents
(estimated 1085 of 11,821 residents living in poverty) or those actively
seeking work (2,237). In the Pilot, 100
entry-level, fulltime, living wage manufacturing positions with healthcare
benefits will be filled. Upon
implementation 1,100 positions will be filled.
The Pilot will determine if other industry sectors should be added. Currently Indeed lists 1,600 open
manufacturing jobs among Elyria’s 80 manufacturers. Of 18 manufacturers
responding to a survey, 16 report difficulty filling positions, with 73
entry-level, and 84 skilled positions open.
Strategies
include defining the delivery model, creating the curriculum with Individual
Development and Career Plans and committing Pilot Employers; committing
partners to recruit applicants through referral channels and career stations
and deliver training and services; creating demand through a multi-media
marketing campaign and an Elyria Works Now Web Portal; evaluating the program
annually; and developing resources through grants and membership fees.
Elyria Company
Expansion Projects
The City of
Elyria is currently in negotiations with three major companies for expansion
assistance (sources to be determined) in the form of abatements and other
incentives. More information will be
made available to Elyria City Council and the public as the processes
procced.
