Foreclosures go hand-in-hand with a slumping economy, but instead of turning their heads away from the sites of vacant homes, the city of Euclid is facing the issue head-on.
When I interviewed Euclid Mayor Bill Cervenik last week (for this Friday’s edition of NEOtropolis) he talked about how vacant homes create a negative connotation for the livelihood of a city, so that’s why he’s been out tackling the issue since the beginning.
He says a recent Neighborhood Stabilization grant through the federal government will allow for the rehab and demolition of vacant homes throughout the city, and he’s hoping for a second round of funding (this time for $12 million) that would help even more.
In a few years, he expects that the currently vacant homes will either be occupied or demolished to increase neighborhood appeal and draw even more people to Euclid neighborhoods and to this region.
Over in Akron, a group called the Downtown Akron Partnership is also working to increase neighborhood appeal.
The group’s three goals are: to keep the downtown area clean, safe and vibrant; to market and promote downtown as a business district; and to provide business and stakeholder services.
In the next five years, the plan is to focus on business storefronts and to bring more restaurants and niche retail into the region to make it even more vibrant.
What about your own NEO city and neighborhood? What extra efforts are groups or officials making to please residents?
What measures do you think should be taken to improve our communities?
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