EUCLID, Ohio — Euclid City Council has now approved a new special tax district to help pay for a revitalization plan.
The special tax district will fund an off-road trail that will connect the Cleveland Metroparks’ Euclid Creek Reservation to Euclid’s Hero Park. Additionally, bus shelters, benches, bike racks, and trail art will be constructed.
The theme for the project is ‘Ride the Wave.’
“Ride the wave is really just the start of a conversation, the start of a concept. The idea is that we're creating a trail system across the city that is really not just two, three, four separate trail sections, but it's something that is united,” City of Euclid Director of Planning and Development Director Patrick Grogan-Myers said.
The project is slated to cost more than $1.8 million.
To fund a portion of this plan, a tax increment would be cast on landowners from the NEO Sports Park to Heritage Business Park, which includes Eaton Aerospace.
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However, that does not mean a new tax assessment.
The properties in the special tax district are solely commercial, including an apartment complex.
The tax increment will last 30 years, and it starts in 2025. It will not impact any monies pulled from property taxes for the local school district.
“Property owners will not see their tax bill go up. They will not see a new line item on their property taxes. It's really Cuyahoga County changing who receives what portion of the property taxes,” Grogan-Myers explained.
The city will begin the design and engineering phase of the project in the spring.
“We really want residents’ feedback as we define what that concept really looks like when we go to implement it. And we're mirroring much of the same process we did with our Lakefront Trail,” Grogan-Myers added.
The legislation regarding the plan passed City Council unanimously on November 18.
