The City of Euclid's Waterfront Improvement Project was selected as the winner of “Best Project” at the Ohio Economic Development Association Annual Excellence Awards held in Columbus on Wednesday. This annual award program recognizes the achievements of individuals and organizations throughout Ohio in the areas of economic and workforce development. 

  “The Annual Excellence Awards showcase the best of the best in economic development and gives members of the profession the opportunity to collectively celebrate the success of the economic development profession,” said Jennifer Price, OEDA Executive Director.

  The “Best Project” award earned by our waterfront project recognizes outstanding and innovative projects, redevelopments, and greenfield infrastructure improvements that retain or generate jobs and capital investments. The honor was awarded to the development that best showcased unique approaches including public-private partnerships, local collaboration, innovative funding as well as being a catalyst for economic development in the community. 

  “I am extremely proud of the work done by our Euclid team and all our partners to bring this project to fruition," expressed Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail. "The true success of this project is not measured only by the value of providing a great lakefront trail and public access, but by the positive impact it’s having- encouraging new investment, creating vibrant new spaces, and instilling a renewed sense of pride in Euclid. We are excited about the precedent being set with our “Euclid model” and our hope is that it’s only the first step towards a more accessible, vibrant shoreline across Lake Erie!"

  "The opportunity to share our community’s transformation and to be viewed as a model through an economic development lens is a huge honor," added Allison Lukacsy-Love, Euclid's Director of Development and Planning. "The project required partnerships and collaborations across sectors and scales of government and we believe is a replicable erosion mitigation and public access project for communities across the Great Lakes." 

  The Ohio Economic Development Association is the professional association for economic developers. The association’s mission is to increase economic prosperity in the State of Ohio by working together, on a non-partisan basis, with state, regional, and local development partners to advance Ohio’s economy through professional development, advocacy, and networking.

  For more information about OEDA or their Annual Excellence Awards, please visit www.ohioeda.com. 

  To learn more about Euclid’s Waterfront Improvements Plan, visit our website here.