The Mayor's Report

The Mayor's Report - 2022

To the Great Residents of Garfield Heights and all of our Community Partners, 

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Holiday Season. Let me start off 2022 saying THANK YOU to the voters for your support in the November, 2021, Mayoral Election. I am extremely excited to carry out the goals I have set for the next four years.

Thank you also to the numerous community members who participated in The Master Plan Survey, conducted by the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission. The Master Plan project is being done through a grant awarded to the city. The information being gathered will be useful in developing a plan to move our city forward. One of the things I am very excited about is the opportunity we have to develop vacant lots in Garfield Heights. We are currently working on a plan for Single Family In-Fill Housing in an effort to address the empty lots in our community. Some of the other great opportunities for future development include the I-480/Granger Road interchange, and the development of the Turney Road/ Garfield Heights Boulevard corridor as a walking district with greater connectivity to Cleveland Metroparks and other recreation amenities. Cuyahoga County planners were impressed with the volume of response from our community and this feedback is greatly appreciated.

I am very excited about our new and improved website. I would like to thank Rose Puntel Shalek and Jennifer Duber for the long hours and hard work in making this a reality. We now have a website that works for our residents. One of the features is a community calendar and residents can subscribe to it and then receive notice of upcoming events and activities. 

Highland Park (the former City View shopping center) is looking great. Industrial Commercial Properties has invested millions of dollars in the site and is attracting new tenants. They are working to remodel the building to the east of Giant Eagle and getting it ready for a possible new tenant. Wargo Farms is being sold to the Cleveland Metroparks. Garfield Heights acquired this property in 1987 with the intent on making it available for recreation. Over the years the finances of the city made it difficult to develop it for such purposes. The Cleveland Metroparks has a great reputation for turning these parcels into usable green spaces. Work has begun on a walkable nature trail, paid for with grant funding. I am committed to working for the best interest of the City of Garfield Heights, its residents and community partners, and I know council members share with me the sentiment that if we work TOGETHER, we can accomplish a lot.

Thank you kindly,

Matt Burke, Mayor

Welcome to Garfield Heights

Watch the video below for a welcoming message from the Mayor.