Monday, January 22, 2007

Mayor Frank Jackson Unveils Cleveland's Agressive Five Year Capital Improvement Plan


When I first moved back to Cleveland in 1997, one of the first things I tried to do was go on line and see what kind of economic development issues were under way in Cleveland. Trust me, that was a frustrating experience. There was a one page website that at THAT time had not been updated in years. I tried to call and got no further. Basically was told that there were no public information pamphlets on initiatives to be mailed out! Over the last few years the City of Cleveland website made some progress, but now we are moving into the age of internet technology!

Cleveland's Mayor Frank Jackson made public his Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for the next five years. The plan was actually put together by the Planning Department and focuses on the theme that our 36 neighborhoods are the centers of the City and initiatives should ocur that fit into each of these neighborhoods. So now we have a City Wide Plan which is apparently the first serious update since 1991. No wonder we have had some issues with fragmented progress lol. First, I am elated to see that the web (specifically the City of Cleveland Website ) is going to be the public location for updates to this plan. Cleveland has entered the modern era! I don't really want to sound sarcastic, I want to sound pleased, because I am. Apparently our Mayor has been working behind the scenes (along with Council I'm sure :-) to develop a strategy and make sure we can all be made aware of progress on that strategy. If he were running for re-election today I would vote for him in a heartbeat!

Ok, back to the Plan: Highlights
1.5 Billion Dollar Expenditure Over the Next Five Years
$90 Million for the Lakefront project to open it up to residents (to get an idea of Detroit Shoreway and Lakefront Plans click here )
1.1 Million Investment in Kamms Corners Streetscaping (details through Kamms Corner Redevelopment Center's Website)
$10 Million Investment in either Ward 10 or 11, for a recreational facility
$5 Million to the traffic on E. 105th to improve safety and aid access to University Circle (issue addressed in this 2003 pdf file )
(see enclosed pdf file through CIP Plan link above for complete details)


As a Realtor®, this next section of the Plan intrigued me. The City is dividing areas of Housing into several categories:
1. Areas of Choice (higher home values and excellent housing conditions)
2. Stable home values and condition
3. Transitional, or areas that are experiencing higher levels of foreclosures and maybe more moderate housing market values
4. Fragile areas, with lower market values, abandoned homes, some demolition ocurring.
5. Distressed, which really just means even lower market values, more abandoned properties and demolition needs.

The CIP addresses each of the five areas. Needed improvements of each of the areas can be identified by working with the Neighborhoods and Redevelopment groups involved. The City says to stay tuned to their website because we will all be able to (soon) download a more detailed plan for each of our 36 neighborhoods (well, it said each neighborhood, so hopefully all 36). (above photo courtesy of The Eco City website)
Peace Out - 3C