Leadership Changes at Northeast Shores

The NSDC annual meeting on January 17 had – for once – a large and enthusiastic attendance, who voted in seven new trustees: Christen DuVernay, John Farina, Robert Gatewood, Adam Tully, Cindy Barber, Peter Brown and Daniel Gray Kontar.

They will join the current board members - Frank Barresi, Martin’s Men’s Wear; Joe Bruzas, ImageMart; Larry Fielder, Rust Dust & Other 4 Letter Words; Kevin Flynt, VASJ; Marlene Gatewood-Allen, Resident; Allison (Ali) Lukacsy- Love, Resident; Laura Lee Martin, Resident; Emily Lauren Martis, Resident; Rhonda McLean, Resident; Scott Andrew Mills, Maverick Insurance; Tim Moore, Resident; Vaiva Neary, Resident; Filippo Scafidi, Euclid Hospital; and Michele Seyranian, Hospice of the Western Reserve - in finding a new executive director (target date June 30), and encouraging her/him to build on the community’s vision for our neighborhood – which includes more shopping and greater safety.

The hope is that the next phase of development will build on the arts-oriented funding on Waterloo to bring in new business there, and that the LaSalle will provide an anchor to encourage much more business development on E185. Good luck, y’all!

Notes I was able to scribble during the PowerPoint presentation:

There will be a grand opening for the LaSalle theatre and shops in June; apartments will take longer. If you’d like to support the transformation, you can get pledge forms from NSDC – payable over three years. (Interest-free, apparently a big selling point.)

Median home values in the neighborhood have risen, and foreclosures are down. Twelve new tenants have moved into the Glencoe, nine in the Renters’ Equity program.

Waterloo is at its highest occupancy since NSDC began operating. The organization is engaged in a city-wide conversation on growing the local music scene. And very practically – 300 people were helped by NSDC’s expungement clinic, which shows ex-felons how to have minor offenses scrubbed from their records so that they can get jobs.

The annual NSDC survey of community satisfaction showed growing appreciation of the neighborhood’s recreation and parks (89% counted those as an attraction), authenticity (78%), uniqueness (75%), activity (69%) and walkability. The view of more basic community aspects has grown more favorable but is still low: a place to raise kids 39%; a safe place 40%; good entertainment and shopping 40.8% (I’d have to quarrel with the entertainment – maybe they should be separated in future); quality of life 48.7%; and cleanliness 50%.

Where Do You Fit In?

The NSDC staff who ran the meeting in the absence of Brian Friedman issued several pleas for community involvement (a song Councilman Polensek has been singing as long as I’ve known him). You voted in board members – now call them and ask just how you go about getting involved. An easy way is to join a committee – and you have five to choose from: Commercial Development, Fund  Development, Marketing, Quality of Life and Residential Development.