A Message from Mayor Holly Brinda
The City of Elyria, now entering our 201st year, is alive and well. Our doors are wide open for families with children, young professionals and businesses looking to expand and relocate. Thanks to strong leaders across the city working together, citizens who truly care and who are willing to support their public institutions, and businesses that are engaged in the welfare of the community, Elyria is evolving, innovating and making way for the new. Here are just a few of the initiatives that are transforming Ohio’s 14th largest city.- Over the next five years Elyria will have all new public school facilities. A new high school that broke ground in 2007 will be joined by a new stadium and all new buildings serving preschoolers through eighth grade. Significant matches from the State helped make these projects totaling approximately $213 million affordable.
- Over the next three years Elyria will replace the main library at a new location, build a new south-side library, and make improvements to other library locations.
- Between 2016 and 2021 Elyria will spend approximately $7 million for residential street resurfacing and repairs and $5 million in capital improvements to its residential area parks including two new Spray Parks, a refurbished ice arena, and more. In addition, the city’s new lease partnership agreement with the Lorain County MetroParks is yielding major improvements to Cascade and Elywood parks.
- Over the next two years, the city in partnership with the state, county and federal funding sources, will complete over $19 million of road and sewer improvements. Expect road improvements to major portions of State Route 57, Cleveland Street, Chestnut Ridge, East Avenue, Lake and West Avenues, East Bridge Street, and Gulf Road. The East side relief sewer project will involve much of the north side, including Whitman and Abbe Road.
- Between 2016 and 2021 Elyria will make an additional $5 million investment in its police force to improve safety.
- Between 2016 and 2021 Elyria will make $2.5 million of additional investments in economic development and marketing initiatives. Economic development strategies have already helped with the attraction or expansion of seven businesses in the last 24 months, with two additional in process.
- Right now there is over $18 million of public and private investment happening in downtown Elyria that involves replacing streets and streetscapes, lighting, crosswalks, renovating the historic courthouse, Pioneer Plaza, a new law office and new businesses, and building renovations by private developers. Grants are making many of these projects possible. Additional development plans are in process and will add to the list of improvement projects.
- The Midway Mall area is benefitting from a new $23 million highway reconfiguration that is attracting new business opportunities, including another new hotel, headquarters for a major sport utility vehicle company, discount fashion and automotive warehouses and more. Additional improvement projects are in process.
These are just some of the major improvements happening in Elyria. So the next time you get frustrated by an orange barrel, remember and be grateful for the progress. It will all be worth it in the end! Happy New Year.
