Special Council Meeting Highlights (5/31/23)

May 31, 2023

Cleveland (May 31, 2013) - City Council held a special meeting this afternoon and passed several projects using American Rescue Plan Act and revenue recovery funding. The next regular meeting is June 5^th. That is also the last regular meeting before Council goes into its summer recess schedule. Here are tonight’s highlights:

Reinvigorating Cleveland’s Southeast Side: Council passed here pieces of legislation geared toward reviving the city’s Southeast Side neighborhoods including providing $5 million in economic development assistance for commercial corridor

projects in those neighborhoods. Another will provide $5 million to prepare several vacant sites for development. The final piece is to provide $5 million to establish, implement, and manage a revolving loan fund for a home repair and rehabilitation program for Cleveland’s Southeast Side neighborhoods. Ord. No. 482, 483, 490 -2023

North Coast Connector: Council approved providing $3 million towards the design of a proposed land bridge that would connect Mall C and City Hall to the Lakefront. A feasibility study will determine if the proposed improvement will either (1) span over the railroad tracks and the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway or (2) require that the Shoreway be reconfigured into a boulevard configuration. Ord. No. 527-2023

Euclid Creek Greenway: Council approved providing $500,000 to a multi-phased trail project to improve connections to the lakefront on the east side of Cleveland. The project will close a critical transportation gap in the region and connect the lower portion of Euclid Creek Reservation to its northern portion along the lakefront that includes Euclid Beach, Villa Angela and Wildwood parks in the city of Cleveland. The Euclid Creek Greenway Phase 2 North will be an approx. 2.0 mile trail to provide residents a low stress route to the parks on Lake Erie. Ord. No. 529-2023

Irishtown Bend: Council members approved providing $5 million towards construction of the Irishtown Bend Stabilization and Park project. Total project costs for hillside stabilization and site preparation are approximately $50 million and total project costs for park improvements are approximately $45 million. Ord. No. 530-2023

Activating the Eastside Waterfront: Council approved providing $1.5 million for detailed design of the CHEERS (Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy)  for the Phase Park and Fishing Area project. This is part of the Early Implementation Phase of the Cleveland Harbor Eastern Embayment Resilience Strategy project. Ord. No. 531-2023