Patton: Revitalization of city still major goal
By Kevin Kelley
Fairview Park
Published March 21, 2007

Mayor Eileen Patton

Mayor Eileen Patton recounted a year marked by change, some of it tumultuous, in Fairview Park during her annual State of the City address to the city’s Chamber of Commerce at the Fairview Apartments Clubhouse March 14. However, recent good news that NASA’s Brookpark Road buildings will remain open until 2009 before being redeveloped into a new visitor center put the city’s future in a better light.

“In 2000, when I took office, our goals were to revitalize our city,” Patton said. “Not a day goes by at City Hall when we don’t talk about all the important projects that have to be done to keep us on that path.”

A year ago, Patton reported that NASA’s Glenn Research Center planned to close its two buildings on the north side of Brookpark Road. Those two buildings represented Fairview Park’s largest employer, and Patton said the loss of income tax would severely impact the city. Three full-time and five part-time Fairview Park employees were laid off by the city in April 2006 in part because of the announced closings of the buildings.

Podcast Fairview Park Mayor Eileen Patton gave her annual city report to the Chamber of Commerce March 14. (Length: 41:44) MP3 • 7.1 MB • DOWNLOAD

However, Glenn officials said they were able to stem a threatening tide of buyouts and layoffs, and the center announced the buildings would remain open until 2009.

“We didn’t shrink the way we thought we were going to shrink,” Glenn director Woodrow Whitlow Jr. told West Life last month.

Patton credited her administration, especially Development Director Jim Kennedy and the regional team formed to address the crisis, with the decision to defer the planned closing.

Patton also cited a proposed master plan for Glenn that calls for the Fairview Park campus to be rebuilt with a visitors center, an education center and office buildings for  NASA subcontractors. The proposed plan may result in the redevelopment of the area beyond 2009, Patton said.

“We will continue to work closely with NASA Glenn officials in the months and years ahead to ensure that these objectives are realized,” Patton said.

The $32 million redevelopment of the new Westgate shopping center is making progress, Patton said. Target, a major anchor store, will open July 27, with the rest of the center open by the end of 2007, the mayor reported.

A study of the western Lorain Road business corridor from West 223rd Street to the North Olmsted border now underway will ultimately “improve the appearance of the district, making it more of a destination point for consumers to the benefit of the Fairview Park businesses,” the mayor said.

The new concession stand and visitor bleachers at the city-owned athletic field at Fairview High School — part of the city’s portion of the $50 million Gemini Project — were finished on time and slightly under budget, Patton said. The new community recreation center is now under construction with a grand opening scheduled for the end of the year, the mayor added.

The city also plans to work closely with the Fairview Park school district on the sale and redevelopment of the Board of Education building on Lorain Road and the Garnett and Coffinberry properties into new upscale housing, the mayor said.

“These two projects, when completed, will result in an addition to the tax base and an enhancement to their surrounding neighborhoods,” Patton said.

Fourteen businesses were issued new occupancy permits in 2006, Patton said. The most notable, Patton said were the new Chipotle Mexican Grill and the new Club House at Big Met Golf Course. Two others she mentioned were actually reopenings of closed businesses — the rebuilt Applebee’s at Westgate and the Giant Eagle supermarket which replaced Tops on Lorain Road.

In 2006, two more buyers signed agreements with the Fairview Office Park at West 227th and Brookpark Road, Patton noted. Five of the six street buildings now have occupants, she said. Construction began on the two-story Zaremba Corporate staff office and the one-story building that will house O.R. Colon and Associates, a relocation firm.

Patton also announced that a new Fifth/Third Bank will be built at the site of the former Reem’s Restaurant on Lorain Road.

Patton also noted three major personnel changes in 2006. Law Director Lucian Rego took a medical leave and was succeeded by Sara Fagnilli. Nell Ellis retired after 11 years as director of the city’s senior citizen programs and was succeeded by Regina Sillasen. And Lisa Rocco left her job as director of the Cuyahoga County Budget Commission to succeed Ted Kowalski as finance director.

As has been her custom, Patton reviewed 2006 through the activities of each city department.

The Recreation Department’s programs attracted 2,548 children and 928 adults in 2006, the mayor reported. The Bain Park summer concert series will continue in 2007, Patton announced. And the department prepared for the opening of the new recreation center by purchasing new scheduling software, the mayor said.

The Senior Center, which turns seven years old in July, recorded over 16,400 visits in 2006, Patton said. “Many days in the center, every inch of space is used and the parking overflows to side streets,” Patton said.

The center’s vans provided approximately 7,200 rides to doctor’s appointments and pharmacies last year, she added.

The Thursday-Friday hot lunch program, funded through a state grant, served 14,000 meals in 2006, Patton said. And 775 flu shots were administered in October in addition to monthly glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings.

The Service Department oversaw the privatization of rubbish collection last fall, which Patton said “provides the same level of services to our residents as before while reducing the city’s cost of collection including the indirect cost of worker’s injuries, lost time and Workers Compensation (costs).”

The 17th annual street repair program resurfaced 10 streets at a cost of $801,657, Patton said.

The Building Department issued 1,730 permits for various projects, Patton reported. Construction for 2006 was valued at $28 million, an increase of $19 million compared with 2005 due to the Gemini Project, the new Westgate and the new Fairview Center Office Park.

The Fire Department, which joined the Westshore Central Dispatch Center last year, answered 1,531 medical calls and 144 fire calls, two of which were house fires. The department also saw the retirement of the position of assistant fire chief, Patton said. The position was eliminated in April due to budget cuts.

Members of the Police Department received training on the seven Tasers purchased by the city, Patton noted. “Tasers can be an extremely effective tool in dealing with combative or uncooperative subjects,” Patton said. “Their availability will increase officer safety, reduce injuries and help conserve the peace.”

Patton closed her address by crediting the teamwork of the members of her administration.

“I rely on this team and I defer to this team,” Patton said. “And we make decisions together that affect the quality of life for all of our resident and our businesses.”