February JumpStart Elyria Meeting Videos Now Available!

JumpStart Elyria Designed to Revitalize Elyria’s Downtown, Midway and Cleveland Street Areas

The City of Elyria has received a $93,000 federal grant to conduct a market analysis and create redevelopment plans for its commercial business districts, including Downtown, Midway and Cleveland Street. The City has hired some of the top urban planners and market analysts in the country to help us figure out how to best position Elyria for success in the region. The entire process will take about 12 months.

The first two JumpStart community meetings were held November 12 and 13 at the Elyria Transportation and Community Center and Council Chambers of Elyria City Hall. The Mayor shared the City’s redevelopment strategy; the City’s planning consultants from the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative of Kent State University and Streetsense of Bethesda, Maryland made a presentation of local, regional and national market indicators and what they mean for Elyria; and Elyria business owners and residents were offered an opportunity to ask questions and comment on the process. There were 120 participants at the meetings.

The second set of community meetings were held February 12, 2015 in morning and afternoon sessions at Elyria City Hall. The focus of these meetings was to present and discuss proposed connection development opportunities and infrastructure enhancements in and between Elyria’s three commercial business districts. The videos for the first two sets of meetings are viewable below. Collectively, there have been 180 participants at all the meetings.

The third and final set of community meetings will be set in late March and early April. Look back here for final dates, locations and times. At these meeting the consultants will bring forth the Economic Development Strategy and Marketing Recommendations based on the completed Market Analysis for the three business districts. We will also see how the consultants recommend linking physical improvements to economic opportunities for the areas. For more information, or if you would like to be included on our meeting invitation mailing list, contact Mayor Holly Brinda at (440) 326-1402.

2015 State of the City of Elyria

Despite our financial challenges, with efficient government practices and hard-working employees, the City of Elyria is maintaining its momentum for positive change. To learn more, tune into Elyria’s Cable Channel 12 and view the Mayor’s State of the City address below. See first-hand how Elyria is open for business with a revised, business-friendly Design Review Process; new business development incentive programs; a new Economic Development Plan informed by a Market Analysis; and a new Elyria Community Improvement Corporation – all to help us better retain, attract and expand businesses and create new jobs.

Thanks largely to government grants, Elyria had over $30 million of infrastructure improvements completed or started last year. Among them: the Midway area SR57-49th Street Bridge reconfiguration; roadway improvements on 21 streets; bidding for the replacement of Middle Avenue; and the repair of 3500 feet of sanitary sewers.

Elyria’s strengthened Narcotics and Neighborhood Impact Unit is breaking the cycle of drugs and burglaries, with over 179 drug related arrests – including the largest single heroin seizure in Lorain County history.
Elyria’s neighborhoods are safer with the demolition of 43 additional nuisance properties for a total of 151 housing demolitions in the last 24 months.

Quality of life programming is back with free summer camps, fireworks, summer concerts, expanded holidays lights and a new agreement with the Lorain County MetroParks to benefit Cascade and Elywood parks. With your continued support, Elyria will continue to move forward.

Holly C. Brinda, Mayor

Warming Shelters in Elyria - Week of February 23, 2015

Once again, we are grateful to have the support of our community leaders in providing shelter to those in need during the current spell of frigid weather:

• St. Mary’s (320 Middle Avenue) will be open tonight (Monday, 2/23) from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• St. Andrew’s (Third Street and Court Street) Church  will be open starting Tuesday, 2/24 at 7:00 p.m. through Wednesday 8:00 a.m.; this  schedule will continue (open from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.) through Sunday, March 1, at 8:00 a.m.
• St. Mary’s will be closed after tonight to give their crews a break and St. Andrew’s will be open nightly Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week.

Please call St. Mary's (440-323-5539) or St. Andrew's (440-322-3126) with any questions.

 

St. Andrew's Warming Shelter Open Friday Night

Please be advised that St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (303 3rd Street) will open its doors as a warming shelter starting Friday night at 7pm and will stay open to those in need until 9am Saturday morning.  For more information, contact St. Andrew's at 322-2126.