THE VISION ISSUE - City of Shaker Heights

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Shaker Heights Development Corporation Shaker Heights has long been a community that has relied almost exclusively on its residential tax base. Current economic challenges make it imperative that Shaker invest in its commercial areas in order to diversify the City’s tax base. In order to attract new residents and businesses to Shaker Heights, the City must continue to maintain the assets that have made our City strong: housing, parks, neighborhoods, and services. Strengthening our commercial districts is critical to sustaining the quality of life in our community. In view of this new economic landscape, placemaking initiatives from commercial streetscapes to land banking will need to be supported in part by the citizens of Shaker Heights. The Shaker Heights Development Corporation (SHDC) was created to initiate and guide economic and community development projects on behalf of the citizens of Shaker Heights in order to create jobs, seed businesses, provide educational opportunities, and to revitalize commercial districts and neighborhoods. The SHDC has the following goals: Revitalize the Lee Road commercial district and in doing so, strengthen the Lomond and Moreland neighborhoods Seed new companies and create jobs in the City of Shaker Heights and the surrounding region, with a focus on high growth opportunities Foster entrepreneurial educational opportunities to avoid brain drain in Northeast Ohio Provide a vehicle to engage the citizens of Shaker Heights and the surrounding region in economic and community development efforts Guide the redevelopment of the Van Aken District into a walkable mixed use district The SHDC is a community improvement corporation established by the City of Shaker Heights in 1981. As an agent of the City of Shaker Heights, the board is made up of citizen members, City staff, and elected officials. The City acts as the fiduciary agent for the SHDC. The organization’s tax exempt 501(c)3 status allows it to accept charitable donations. For more information about giving, please contact SHDC President John J. Boyle at j.boyleiii@csuohio.edu. nificant redevelopment is planned. Over the past year, Menesse has been busy meeting with real estate brokers and working to get commercially available properties listed on Shaker Heights’ web site. Having this list available online is essential, especially when it comes to marketing the Van Aken redevelopment district. “In the first phase of development, we’re going to encourage a developer to put in 60,000 square feet of office space. And the only way we’re going to be able to do that is if we have a list of businesses that are ready to go,” Menesse explains. Just as much as the City will rely on marketing and Menesse’s economic development efforts, residents’ involvement is equally important to improving the business climate here. “We really want the residents to understand that their engagement in our economic development success is crucial. So, as you’re talking with your friends who own businesses, ask them to just think about Shaker,” says Menesse. “What we’ve done is pare the Van Aken District plans down to what is realistic for a firstring suburb with the distinction and quality that we have here, but that also has lots of challenges. We’ve laid the groundwork for it. Now it’s time to move.” Opening a business can be tricky – well – business. Let us make it as easy as possible for you to do business in Shaker Heights. The Economic Development Department is happy to help at any point in the process. For a Vision Kit contact us at economic.development@shakeronline.com or 216-491-1334. 46 WWW.SHAKERONLINE.COM
a turn for the Better The Van Aken District begins to take shape. BY JENNIFER KUHEL The Van Aken District after the future road reconfiguration. North is to the right of the image. SHAKER LIFE DECEMBER | JANUARY 2013 47
Page 1 and 2: City of Shaker Heights, Ohio decemb
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Page 5 and 6: From our Readers I read the story o
Page 7 and 8: Business News Shop Shaker! S H O P
Page 9 and 10: CITY NEWS 97-Year-Old Publishes Boo
Page 12 and 13: THE SHAKER SCHOOLS UPDATE National
Page 14 and 15: Happy Holidays Thank you for anothe
Page 16: REAL ESTATE NEWS Real Numbers conti
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Page 23 and 24: LIBRARY NEWS Teen Scene (Grades 7-1
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Page 32 and 33: Laura Coiley Dietrich with, from le
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Page 38 and 39: of classes, camps, and quick weeken
Page 40 and 41: The Krause family at the Ardmore Ro
Page 42 and 43: a focus on Business Development The
Page 44 and 45: WORK-LIVE = WORK-LIFE BALANCE /////
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Page 52 and 53: Shop Shaker Database Helps You Shop
Page 54 and 55: going east.” For now, the focus o
Page 56 and 57: Jeff Heinen, whose chain of superma
Page 58 and 59: Turning the Corner Next up: revital
Page 60 and 61: Erica Weiss at the new Juma Gallery
Page 62 and 63: Dunford has also branched out on he
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Page 66 and 67: Fame - the committee members were d
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Page 70 and 71: CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS december Sunday
Page 72 and 73: OUT & ABOUT can’t trump this acti
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Page 76 and 77: The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes 2
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Page 80 and 81: Meet Rick Coates... Heating Cooling
Page 82 and 83: SHAKER OBSERVER A Fifth-Grade Reuni
Page 84: PrsrT sTd us PosTaGe PAiD CLEVELAND

THE VISION ISSUE - City of Shaker Heights

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