Westown Community Development Corporation

Programs: Westown's main retail corridor is lorain avenue located in the middle of the city's west side 7 mile corridor of shopping, dining & history along lorain avenue that links cleveland hopkins airport to downtown cleveland. Once an early stagecoach route, lorain avenue is now an eclectic mix of classic to retro specialty shops, ethnic markets, bakeries, cafes, fine dining restaurants, irish pubs, antiques/flea markets, live entertainment spots, historic architecture & sacred landmarks. Westown businesses located along lorain avenue include locally owned import food markets, bakeries and popular cafes serving international cuisine. 1. Commercial program: code enforcement; technical assistance to businesses; located along its commercial streets. Support to commercial businesses includes technical assistance on expansion, relocation, zoning, storefront improvements including design, obtaining construction bids, architectural conceptual renderings and reimbursements and or incentives for eligible improvements through the city of cleveland storefront renovation program.

2. Housing program: wcdc maintains a full time housing code enforcement staff person that works with the homeowners and or tenants to address code enforcement wcdc investigates complaints and works with home owners, tenants, landlords to achieve code compliance. Where applicable and in cases where there is no resolution shares case information with b&h for administrative and or housing court enforcement. Between 2004 and 2017 surveyed 80% or approximately 10,000 properties in its service area in partnership with the city of cleveland. In partnership with the cuyahoga county land bank, wcdc manages the acquisition and disposition of vacant houses to developers and or families seeking opportunities to invest, restore housing and live in the wcdc service area.

3. Court community service program; the overall appearance of wcdc's commercial corridors is important. The viability is judged by how well litter, graffiti, illegal dumping, as well as high grass and weeds are controlled. City resources are limited and cannot keep up with daily demand. Wcdc maintains one of the most successful cuyahoga county court community service program programs with the cuyahoga county court community service organization. Services includes litter control, graffiti removal, grass cutting and snow removal for disabled and senior citizens that are low moderate income; wcdc was selected as the 2017 green up cleveland flagship neighborhood which provided a day long neighborhood clean up in may that included over 25 volunteers, home depot gift cards, crafts for children and families, food, supplies and plantings for the neighborhood valued at over 10,000. 00 in sponsorships and in kind value. 4. Community marketing & branding: wcdc's brand is "come home to westown". Efforts this period included inclusion in the livecleveland neighborhoods guide in cleveland magazine, through wcdc's web site and wcdc's facebook page. Membership in destination cleveland and paid placement ads in travel host magazine promotes local businesses to visitors and tourists to advance community branding and marketing of community assets including entertainment, dining opportunities, local retail, recreational facilities, public transportation, and freeway access to its residents as well as out of town visitors. 5. Community engagement: westown cdc seeks to maintain community connections neighborhood block clubs and other organizations representing various segments of the community. As an organization, wcdc takes a "capacity building approach" when working with neighborhood residents and businesses. This is done by attending meetings, connecting them with resources, reaching out through e-mail blasts, and collaborating on community events. The wcdc service area has active residents and neighborhood associations that the organization interacts with on an on- going basis. Wcdc also serves as fiscal agent for the following neighborhood organizations: 1. West park community coalition (wpcc)is grassroots neighborhood association that represents the historic african american community located in the bellaire neighborhood within the wcdc service area. Wcdc partners with them on crime prevention, community gardens, zoning change and recreational activities. Wcdc also serves as their fiscal agent for their cdbg funded community computer center. 2. Y music: a peer to peer youth mentoring program that provides young gifted musicians weekly rehearsals on a professional musicians sound stage and opportunity to perform before live audience. The program has engaged several youth musicians on the autism spectrum, who may not otherwise have this opportunity to develop, create their own music as well as to collaborate with other musicians. 3. Halloran winter frolic committee: now in its 8th year, this annual holiday free family event features free ice skating, free photos with santa, live entertainment, children's craft table, food and cpd's mounted police, hosted by the city of cleveland at halloran skating rink.

the following are examples of wcdc co-sponsored community engagement events 2016-17: 1. )financial literacy: in partnership with third federal savings & loan, provides a 3 session financial literacy program. Participants that complete the program are eligible for a onetime 3,000. 00 grant from third federal savings & loan that can be used towards down payment of a home. 2. )safety awareness: wcdc is represented monthly first district commander/community relations committee which provides safety awareness and crime prevention education to residents and business owners. 3. )arts & culture: free community family events: wcdc supports arts & culture in its service area through fund raising, sponsorships and or grants. Partners included spaces gallery, cleveland public library, cuyahoga arts & culture, green up cleveland, and dancing wheels. Wcdc was selected as the 2017 green up cleveland flagship neighborhood which provided in kind and sponsorships for a day long neighborhood clean up that included over 25 volunteers. During the 2016-2017 program year, wcdc sponsored 35 professional performers including artists, sound tech, dj, vocalists, dancers musicians and vocalists all paid union scale or higher for their performances at various free family friendly annual events at halloran park & the historic variety theatre. Educational and national photographer tours at the historic variety theatre live performances included, opera in the park, the 10th annual westown summer concert series at the halloran park & music gazebo featuring three sunday evening concerts with nationally/regionally recognized musicians and recording artists, an independent film screening, an urban artist mural installation, an art installation at eastman cleveland public library branch.