Business View Civil & Municipal Apr-2023

116 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 shares current Mayor Michael Vanni. “We’ve got a bunch of great stores here that have been in business for a long time, Alesci’s, Cleveland Pizza, and Ace Hardware for example. And our residents are very good at supporting them. That keeps us afloat. But the flip side is it’s tough tax revenue, which is why the lakefront development project is so important—we’ve got to keep looking for ways to increase our tax base. As much as I love living in a bedroom community, there’s always a downside when things get tough.” In the 1950s, a building boom took place in Willowick as young war veterans and their families moved to surrounding cities from Cleveland in search of affordable housing. This growth saw the opening of the Shoregate Shopping Centre in 1955 in the city’s west end, on what was formerly zoned as a golf course property. During its prime, Shoregate boasted a major department store (Federal’s), a Woolworth’s, a movie theater, and several smaller retail stores, but struggled with falling visitor numbers after the Northshore Mall was completed in 1971 in the city’s livelier east end. “Around 2006, Rick Marucci of the Marucci Group bought what was formerly the western half of that aging shopping center, Shoregate,” mentions Council President, Bob Patton. “Rather than letting it go into disrepair, those various stores were condensed into half of what they were—which is, at present, more than sufficient—and it created this whole new neighborhood dedicated to single-family homes catering to families, like mine, who had kids and needed more space. That being said, when you look at big lakefront communities such as Chicago, and especially on the north side of Chicago, the nicest neighborhoods, the most beautiful houses, are on the water.” So, that’s something that I thought we should do in terms of having a goal as a community. And what we’ve attempted in succession, Commissioner Regovich, Mayor Vanni, and I are to get local businesses into Willowick to create a presence and see new developments along Lake Shore Blvd.” To that end, the Vine Street corridor project, Rich Regovich Lake County Commissioner.jpg Bob Patton Council President