Economic Development

Duties

  • Short and long-range planning, land development, public improvements and economic and community development
  • Business retention/expansion, to expand the industrial, retail and commercial tax base and create jobs
  • Engagement with business owners, brokers and deal effectively with a wide array of stakeholders, work collaboratively with city staff to engage community leaders and residents to implement strategies to develop a sustainable community
  • Financial programs for businesses, resources, programs and incentives for business, workforce development and job sustainability.
  • Developing and managing tax incentive programs for attracting businesses to the city
    • Enterprise Zone, Community Reinvestment Area, Tax Increment Financing for businesses; Community Reinvestment Area incentives for residential developments (examples: Jennings Center for Older Adults and Holy Spirit Church).
  • Land and real estate transactions and zoning by referendum
  • Oversight of the Garfield Heights Land Reutilization Program (Land Bank) - property acquisition, land consolidation, residential “Side Lot Program” for the benefit of residents in expanding their yards
  • Maintaining a vacant commercial/industrial property listing, inventory of available properties that includes retail, warehouse, industrial space and vacant land
  • Grant writing (example: the city was awarded a $1,046,000 grant to demolish vacant, blighted properties)
  • Developing and maintaining relationships with community, economic and workforce development partners, regulatory agencies, state, county and local government (identifying and matching resources as needed).
  • Maintaining relationships with local business leaders, elected officials and residents, civic groups and community organizations such as:
    • Local: Garfield Heights City School District, Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, churches, resident groups;
    • Public Sector: Cuyahoga County, Cuyahoga County Department of Development, Cuyahoga County Planning Commission, State agencies, U.S. Small Business Administration, other cities, First Suburbs Development Council (FSC), housing agencies, Northern Ohio Area Coordinating Agency (NOACA), Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District, Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, Millcreek Watershed Partners, Cleveland Metroparks;
    • Private Sector: Marymount Hospital/CCF, Greater Cleveland Partnership, TeamNEO, real estate organizations (commercial and residential), Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (CCLRC), business groups; and
    • City Representative: on numerous local and regional economic development organizations, appropriate boards and commissions.

Examples of Redevelopment & Renovations in the Community

  • Example of a redevelopment project - Highland Park (formerly City View Center) - Redesigned and renovated into an office/light industrial park
  • Example of a renovation - Garfield Commons
  • Example of a future renovation - Kmart on Rockside Road

Financial Programs

Cuyahoga County

Local Business Organizations

State of Ohio

Federal

Master Plan

A Master Plan, is a document that steers the city in achieving its long-range plans. The city received a $50,000 grant from the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission to update the city’s plan: “Rural Town to First Suburb - Planning for Garfield Heights’ Next Century.”

Review the Garfield Heights Master Plan here.

Read more about it on the County Planning website.