CUYAHOGA COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVES NEARLY $12 MILLION IN ARPA SPENDING ON ADDICTION CENTER, LAKEFRONT PARK, MORE

Cuyahoga County Council has approved
$11.8 million in COVID-19 stimulus spending on 19 projects throughout the county.

The 19 projects, approved
separately and unanimously
during a Tuesday council
meeting, include an addiction
treatment center for women, a
lakefront park, an animal shelter/
recycling center in Lakewood, a
police shooting range and more.

The largest, single project funded
in this batch is $2.7 million for
the Hitchcock Center for Women,
which provides addiction
treatment services and housing
for women. Other, major projects
approved Tuesday include $1.5
million for an animal shelter/
recycling facility in Lakewood,
$1.2 million for a Rocky River
police shooting range, $1.2 million
for a lakefront park in Bay Village
and more. In seeking support
for the lakefront park project,
councilwoman Nan Baker said
“This is really a once in a lifetime
opportunity, through the federal
ARPA funding, that we are able
to enhance the quality of life for
the 120,000 residents of the west
shore.”

The funds were approved as
part of the county’s controversial
community grant funds, which
splits $66 million in American
Rescue Plan Act dollars evenly
among the county’s 11 districts.
The funds are controversial
because they were conceived
in secret and give individual
councilmembers significant say
over how money is spent. County
officials note all projects need final
approval in a public vote.

The approved projects include:

District 1

$1.2 million for Rocky River to
build a police shooting range
$1.2 million for Bay Village for the
Cahoon Memorial Park Lakefront
Project
$1 million for Fairview Park
for the Public Facility Regional
Environmental Improvement
Project
$1 million for Westlake to demolish
the vacant Parkside Intermediary
School and build a park/athletic
fields.

District 2

$1.5 million for Lakewood to build
an animal shelter/recycling center

$500,000 for Beck Center for
the Arts
$350,000 for the development
of the Lyric Community Center

District 7

$700,000 for the Murtis Taylor
Human Services System to
upgrade its community center
$250,000 for upgrades at the
East End Neighborhood House
$90,000 for the Fatima Family
Center to upgrade furniture
$65,000 for the St. Martin
de Porres Family Center’s
strategic plan development
$63,000 for the Fatima Family
Center to upgrade its Hough
Collaborative main office
$40,000 for the Black
Professionals Association
Charitable Foundation for an
internship program

District 9

$1 million for Shaker Heights to
revitalize Lee Road
$600,000 for Warrensville
Heights to upgrade its senior
and civic center
$450,000 for Bedford Heights’
Homeowner Energy Efficient
Weatherization Relief Program
$73,200 for Bedford Heights to
upgrade and staff a computer
lab
$35,000 for Bedford Heights to
expand its food relief program

Hitchcock Center:

$2.7 million
$1 million from District 7
$500,000 from District 10
$174,700 from District 2
Remaining $1 million from
general fund