new businesses, bars, and restaurants establishing a foothold.“The north Main Street focuses on green space, which leads to events and festivals, and that bar and restaurant entertainment component,” he says. Meanwhile, the southern segment, largely untouched for decades, is beginning to see progress, with small businesses, bars, and restaurants sprouting up in recent years. However, Lasko admits there are challenges in uniting these two sections.“Our Main Street is bisected by a state route, which creates some pedestrian and bicycle safety issues,” he says. To bridge the gap—figuratively and literally—the city implemented a “road diet” three years ago, narrowing vehicular lanes to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists crossing between north and south Main Street. Lasko is optimistic about the area’s potential to become a cohesive downtown catering to locals and visitors.“This is a great place to start a small business,” he points out, citing the supportive community and influx of seasonal visitors drawn by Cedar Point and nearby water parks.“You’ve got this growing population through a portion of the year, and you’ve got a city making strategic investments around your business.” INDUSTRY GROWTH AND WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIPS Huron is also becoming a hub for industrial and commercial growth. With major players choosing the city as their home base, Huron has seen a surge in job opportunities and economic development. Mayor Tapp highlights two recent success stories.“Firelands Scientific, our marijuana cultivation and dispensing facility, is booming in terms of employment and space,” he says. “They’re expanding as we speak.” The facility has quickly become one of the area’s key employers. He also points to Ardagh Group, a global, sustainable packaging company focused on cans and bottles.“That’s a huge economic boom,” he emphasizes. “They checked numerous sites across the United States, and they chose Huron because of our location and the ease of working with the city.” Mucci Farms is another major player who has chosen Huron as a place to call home.The 75-acre integrated greenhouse is equipped with technology allowing for year-round production and harvesting of high-quality produce.Truly rooted in the Huron community, Mucci Farms understands small town living through their on-going support and investments in community projects, such as a new turf field at the local high school. While the city doesn’t directly manage workforce development programs, Lasko explains how it collaborates with regional organizations to ensure businesses can access a well-trained workforce. “We’ve heard from these businesses that they’ve had a positive experience finding both unskilled and skilled employees,” he notes, adding that the region’s 176 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 01
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