The View From Ward 2, #2

[Bill Call]

Many City businesses are shut down or are operating with reduced staff and with limited hours of operation. It is unclear how many of those business will survive if the closures continue for any length of time. It is unclear what affect the closures will have on City finances.

The Developer of Lakewood Place is demanding additional financial subsidies from the City. The City has already agreed to transfer the Hospital site property to the developer for $1. The City has valued that property at $6 million. The project has yet to sign any agreements with potential tenants. The City has already born the cost of demolition, site preparation and soil remediation.

The City and State of Ohio will spend about $2.5 million on street improvements on the far West end of Lakewood at Sloane and Detroit. The improvements will include replacement of pavement, removal of the center islands, better bicycle and pedestrian access and aesthetic improvements to that Western entrance to Lakewood.

Is there a big tax increase coming to fund Lakewood Place development?

[Bridget Conant]

Oh no, the development is going to supercharge Lakewood’s economy!

Just ask Mike Summers and all of his administration.

It’s going to Move Forward as we Build Lakewood!



We got TRUMPED

[Mark Kindt]

It is now time to begin a broad-based community dialogue on two issues:

1. Creating a new Department of Public Health for the City of Lakewood.

2. Planning by the City of Lakewood to invite a major national health care provider to build a new acute care hospital in Lakewood.

[Bill Call]

It is now time to begin a broad-based community dialogue on two issues:

1. Creating a new Department of Public Health for the City of Lakewood.

2. Planning by the City of Lakewood to invite a major national health care provider to build a new acute care hospital in Lakewood.

That's never going to happen.

While the $65 million in City funds transferred to private foundations might be the source of funds to help finance such a project that's never going to happen. Three Arches and Health Lakewood are PRIVATE foundations. They exist primarily to pay salaries and benefits, pay investment advisory fees and to write checks to the Cleveland Clinic.

If that seems harsh then answer this: Where are they now?

[Mark Kindt]

It is now time to begin a broad-based community dialogue on two issues:

1. Creating a new Department of Public Health for the City of Lakewood.

2. Planning by the City of Lakewood to invite a major national health care provider to build a new acute care hospital in Lakewood.

That's never going to happen.

While the $65 million in City funds transferred to private foundations might be the source of funds to help finance such a project that's never going to happen. Three Arches and Health Lakewood are PRIVATE foundations. They exist primarily to pay salaries and benefits, pay investment advisory fees and to write checks to the Cleveland Clinic.

If that seems harsh then answer this: Where are they now?

Mr. Call, I understand your point.

Regardless of the hospital demolition and the liquidation of all of its assets, we are now in drastically changed circumstances.

As citizens we need to have a public dialogue about public health. It has to start anew and it has to start now.

It is now clear to all of us, that Lakewood has NO hospital beds and NO intensive care capabilities.

There is no reason that a city of 50,000 citizens can't pursue "realistic" public health initiatives.

No one understands where the money "went" than we do. I am not suggesting that any of those funds can ever be repatriated for new hospital.

We need to start again from scratch to do this. As a community, I think we are each learning that we just don't have a choice now.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Mr. Call, I understand your point.

Regardless of the hospital demolition and the liquidation of all of its assets, we are now in drastically changed circumstances.

As citizens we need to have a public dialogue about public health. It has to start anew and it has to start now.

It is now clear to all of us, that Lakewood has NO hospital beds and NO intensive care capabilities.

There is no reason that a city of 50,000 citizens can't pursue "realistic" public health initiatives.

No one understands where the money "went" than we do. I am not suggesting that any of those funds can ever be repatriated for new hospital.

We need to start again from scratch to do this. As a community, I think we are each learning that we just don't have a choice now.

Mr. Kindt

A little over 100 years ago the Spanish Flu came to Lakewood, Ohio. The pandemic underlined all of the reasons why the resident of Lakewood needed to control their health care.

That was with a city of less than 30,000 people.

Today we are the densest community between NYC and LA. The same density as LA.

A pandemic here has the real possibility of matching NYC curve, underlining once again how poorly prepared we are for emergencies like this.

Perhaps you are right, we will see many come together to build a NEW hospital in Lakewood, but i doubt it.

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