The city we are building

The Sandusky Planning Commission voted Wednesday to approve a new Downtown Sandusky Master Plan. This plan builds on the momentum experienced by downtown Sandusky over the past five years. In that time, we built a new City Hall, added a university presence and revitalized our waterfront with the Jackson Street Pier and Shoreline Drive projects. Over 30 new businesses opened and over 100 new units of housing were constructed. Along the way, we also welcomed the Governor's 2017 State of the State Address, celebrated our 2018 Bicentennial and in 2019 became America's Best Coastal Small Town. Over the next five years, we will add to that success by supporting the rebuild of the State Theatre, transforming Columbus Avenue, building an anchor hotel and conference center, and bringing Downtown Sandusky to life through year-round community programming. The downtown district is important for the entire region. A revitalized downtown creates a tax base that supports services citywide. It helps attract new residents and the talent the region needs to compete in the 21st century. Local realtors speak often about new homebuyers moving into Sandusky neighborhoods in part because of their excitement about the downtown comeback. Sandusky neighborhoods are also undergoing a renaissance. The Sandusky Schools opened two new schools in 2020, with a third new school opening this fall. In the past five years, city housing programs provided grants to improve nearly 1,000 Sandusky homes. The city and the Erie County land bank demolished 200 blighted properties and the city tripled its code compliance efforts. We also revamped 10 neighborhood parks and created new programs investing in city streets, sidewalks and trees. We added a division of community policing and built an award-winning recreation department. The Sandusky Neighborhood Initiative identified specific improvements for targeted neighborhoods that included, for example, new public art as well as the conversion of a vacant commercial structure at Erie Boulevard and Cleveland Road into a new community gathering space. Sandusky City Commissioners are committed to continued investment in neighborhoods. In 2021, we look to begin a community planning process for Sandusky's South Side neighborhood. Its boundaries include Perkins Avenue to the south, Campbell Street to the east, the Mills Creek Golf Course to the west and the railroad tracks to the north. The South Side is a proudly diverse neighborhood and home to many important assets including Sandusky City Schools and Firelands South Campus. However, it has suffered greatly from disinvestment and blight. The city intends to support neighborhood residents and stakeholders in crafting a new vision for the neighborhood. How can a revamped Churchwell Park support the construction of new and rehabilitated housing in the neighborhood? How can we build on the presence of Sandusky Schools to make the South Side a neighborhood of choice for Sandusky families? What recreational opportunities for children can we create at the former site of American Crayon? The South Side neighborhood sits just across Perkins Avenue from the vacant KBI site. The city is partnering on a unique tax-sharing agreement with Perkins Township that will lead to new investment and the creation of new jobs at KBI. The city intends to dedicate new revenue from this partnership toward improvements identified in the neighborhood planning process. Most importantly, how do we connect South Side residents to new employment opportunities at KBI, Firelands Regional Medical Center and downtown Sandusky? The city will create stronger physical connections to those employment centers by revitalizing Hayes Avenue with a multi-use path and traffic calming measures that make it easier for the many South Side residents without an automobile to access good jobs and meet their day-to-day needs. This physical connection between the South Side and downtown symbolizes the city we are building. Diverse neighborhoods connected to schools, jobs, recreation, and healthcare by a revitalized corridor that is equitably designed to accommodate pedestrians as well as drivers. Our future will not be determined by choosing between downtown and our neighborhoods but instead by connecting those assets in ways in which the sum of the city is greater than its individual parts.