UNIVERSITY HEIGHT, Ohio -- Last February, while delivering his first state-of-the-city address since being elected in 2017, Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan's theme was "the best is yet to come."
In delivering his second state-of-the-city address Tuesday (Feb. 11), Brennan commented on the progress made from that promise of a year earlier. "We are back on the map and we're building something special here in University Heights," he told those assembled in the Jardine Room at John Carroll University.
Brennan began his talk recalling a discussion he had when running for mayor with Ari Jaffe, a resident and chair of the city's Board of Zoning Appeals. Paraphrasing that conversation, Brennan recalled how Jaffe had asked if Brennan may consider consolidating University Heights with another because the city "was adrift, without direction, without purpose, without identity.
"But in two years, you've brought new energy to this city," Brennan recalled, again paraphrasing Jaffe. "Things are happening. We are happening. We have found ourselves. You did that."
Brennan, in his address, then quickly credited the team that works with him for what he sees as University Heights' turnaround into a city with purpose.
The rest of the address told of the new developments that Brennan says is making the state of the city "strong."
University Square
"One year ago I stood behind this podium and reported to you that University Square continued to be confounding to this community," Brennan said. "Ill conceived from the start and mismanaged for years, it nevertheless represented an opportunity for the right developer to make something not only productive, but special and worthy of this community."
Brennan recounted the many meetings, beginning last spring, he and his staff took with county officials, bond counsel and Cleveland Heights-University Heights School Board members to bring about redevelopment at University Square. The work culminated in December when developer Brad Kowit and Brennan presented to the school board a vision for redeveloping University Square.
Brennan thanked the school board for its support and said Kowit is hopeful to have shovels in the ground this summer, beginning work on redevelopment.
"What is in store for phase one is approximately 203 market rate apartments, with approximately 5,000 square feet of new retail, some of which may be live/work space," Brennan said. "As phase one is completed, we will look together at phase two, and the possibilities appropriate for our community, for what we as a market will support, and for what is worthy of this high profile center of our community."
New homes
Brennan told of how the city's new City Beautiful community investment corporation has come to terms with Knez Builders to construct three infill homes on vacant lots, beginning with the lot located on the west end of Northwood Road.
"These new infill homes are a prelude to our next residential development: Our new townhomes, in the new Residential Attached zoning district, in the northwest corner of the city, on the north end of the Cedar-Taylor District. These new townhomes will feature the luxury finishes appreciated and expected by new home buyers, these being aimed especially at young professionals and empty-nesters. With rooftop views of downtown Cleveland, they will be a 10-minute drive from University Circle, the medical, scientific, and cultural hub of northeastern Ohio. It'll be all that and a Heights address."
Brennan said that 2020 is "the year we will begin seeing the fruit of the seeds we planted these last two years. We will be building new homes in our city, single-family homes, townhomes, market rate apartments -- making more places to fill the demand to live in our city."
Already accomplished this year, the mayor said, is the first mile of bike lanes on Warrensville Center Road; a pocket park on Silsby Road; near-complete construction of a new youth psychiatric facility and building at Bellefaire JCB; and the continued implementation of the city's rebranding, with new welcome signs to be installed this year.
Sense of community
"Our city is, and ought to be, a community of neighbors," Brennan said, "neighbors who interact, socialize, and have fun together."
He then went on to list new community additions that included the formation last year of the city's first Fall Fest community event, held in October; the revamped, outdoor summer concert series; the inaugural City Beautiful 5K run; the reintroduction in 2018, after a 10-year hiatus, of the University Heights Civic Awards; and the introduction in 2019 of the city's MOSAIC Magazine.
Economic development
Speaking on the topic of economic development, Brennan said, "In 2020, we aim to redevelop the former Action Pest site (on South Taylor Road), and bring development to the former KFC and Midas sites (also on South Taylor). The Home-Based Businesses ordinance is being rewritten in an effort to better serve our residents and their home businesses. In addition, we will ask council to approve a comprehensive zoning code update. This is greatly needed, as our current zoning code is terribly out of date, and not business-friendly."
In the area of housing, Brennan said that Building Commissioner Jim McReynolds has announced that he will soon retire, and that Housing and Community Development Director Patrick Grogan-Myers will be leaving the city as he has accepted a position with the city of Maple Heights.
Finances
In his 2019 address, Brennan told of becoming mayor of a city in the throes of "financial mismanagement." This year, Brennan has a brighter perspective when it comes to finances.
"For 2020, the administration has delivered a budget to City Council that eliminates deficit spending, is a balanced budget across all funds, but innovatively, uses means at our disposal so as not to eliminate fulfilling the needs this city nevertheless has," Brennan said.
Noting that the city has not had an income tax increase since 2006 and that costs keep going up, Brennan said, "I do not and will not support raising our city income tax. I do not and will not support eliminating the tax credit. And I do not, will not, and cannot support gutting our safety services." He, instead, favors the city taking out a bridge loan, "to make available today the money we need and that we can pay back as other obligations come off the books over the course of the next three years."
The big picture
Brennan said that, nationally, leaders have "put the coarse in discourse." He vowed to be different.
"As your mayor," he said, "I resolve to continue to strive to be the change I want to see in our country. Positive. Progressive. Responsive. Sensitive. Open. And strong."
In concluding, he said, "I could not be prouder to hold the honor of being your mayor and leading this city, and all it represents. University Heights is truly 'So Much More than Home.' And we're telling the world, and we're back on the map."
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