Ohio City, like its neighbors Detroit Shoreway, Tremont and Downtown Cleveland, has had unprecedented growth in the last two years. While the growth has centered around the Market District, there is both a need and a desire to “turn the corner” onto Lorain Avenue for investment and growth. This past fall, we partnered with Ohio City Incorporated to lead a community engagement process designed to accomplish that goal by focusing our attention on Lorain Avenue as Ohio City’s Main Street.

Perhaps Father Bill Murphy from Saint Ignatius High School said it best when he stated, “The goal of this process is to turn Lorian Avenue from a latently charming street to blatantly charming street.” During the course of the three-day planning charrette made possible with funding from NPI and facilitated by the Kent State Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, hundreds of residents and stakeholders attended “Launch Lorain” and shared their vision for a complete street cared for by all who call Ohio City home.

Both of us share representation of Lorain Avenue, thus we are equally committed to transforming the street from an underperforming and in sections blighted avenue to a maintained, beautiful, mixed-use, and multi-modal street that brings residents from Clinton and Chatham together. Our vision is for that energy and investment to stretch from the new bicycle and pedestrian path over the Hope Memorial Bridge, past the West Side Market and through Saint Ignatius’ campus, into the historic buildings filling in the street, along Urban Community School, and ending up in Detroit-Shoreway at the EcoVillage and the Michael J. Zone Recreation Center.

Creating walkable neighborhoods with amenities and services that meet the needs of neighborhood residents is an absolute priority for both of our wards. This can be achieved through many different ways including business attraction and the City of Cleveland Storefront Renovation Program, in addition to improved conditions of sidewalks and streets through a coordinated streetscaping effort. Additionally, with the recent public investment in Market Square Park, Novak Park, Zone Recreation Center and the planned improvements for Greenwood Park, Lorain Avenue can be the greenway connector for family programming, healthy living, and recreational activities.

Lorain Avenue was intended to be enjoyed by people, not automobiles. Slowing traffic, creating safer pedestrian crossings at key intersections, allowing more on street parking, and animating the street through business development will help accomplish that. So will an investment by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. Lorain Avenue cuts through a half-dozen City Council wards, a host of major institutional anchors, an impressive array of businesses, and possibly the largest concentration of City of Cleveland residents within a ten minute walk of a commercial main street. An improved experience with better rapid transit connections, a bus rapid transit system, and transit waiting environment investments would have an impact not just on Ohio City, but the entire Lorain Avenue corridor.

“Launch Lorain” was a first step towards establishing a clear and compelling vision, developed in partnership with the residents, businesses, institutions, and stakeholders of Ohio City. This spring, we look forward to working with Ohio City Incorporated on the release of the drafted “Launch Lorain” report and gathering feedback from all stakeholders before the plan is finalized. Strong community participation is one of the great strengths of Ohio City. We welcome all voices and opinions and look forward to that continued dialogue.