Lorain City Council approved the proposed Broadway Commons permanent housing complex at its meeting Jan. 16.
Broadway Commons is planned to house 62 homeless residents, regardless of gender, while 12 of the apartments will strictly be for homeless military veterans.
CHN Housing Partners and Emerald Development and Economic Network are the developers of the planned housing facility slated for the intersection of Broadway and East 21st Street.
No children will be allowed at the facility.
The proposal has been discussed in great detail for years, and one of the final steps to move the project forward included a memorandum of understanding between the Lorain Police Department and the development groups.
The agreement calls for an increase of the project’s cost from approximately $16 million to about $20 million to offset costs of building a police substation in the complex where an officer would be stationed to work four hours a day.
The hours when the officer will be required to work will depend on when the police are called to the facility, officials have said.
Initially, the agreement called for an eight-hour shift, but that plan was altered to decrease the hours.
During the public speaking forum, Jerry Donovan, of Lorain, told Council, “The citizens have said it’s a good idea, but it’s a bad location.”
Surrounding business owners, such as Fligner’s Market, have vowed to leave Lorain if the homeless shelter is built at the planned location.
“I can only presume to believe that the mayor’s great game plan for economic development is to turn us into the largest social services city in the state,” said Mary Springowski, former Lorain councilwoman.
Springowski said Lorain is being “played for chumps” because no other community wants the facility built in their vicinity.
“Do not come to us asking for more income tax increases or any type of levy renewals,” she said. “As for the threat of a lawsuit against the city, it is an empty threat as no other community would ever do business with them again if they chose to do that.
“So, vote wisely.”
At a prior meeting, a representative of the development group threatened legal action against the city if the city didn’t approve the proposed site plan.
Councilwoman at-large Sylvia DuVall, Ward 2 Councilwoman Victoria Kempton, Ward 3 Councilwoman Pamela Carter, Ward 5 Councilwoman JoAnne Moon and Ward 7 Councilwoman Mary Spellacy voted in favor of the proposed permanent housing complex.
Council members at-large Joseph Koziura and Tony Dimacchia as well as Ward 1 Councilwoman Beth Henley, Ward 4 Councilman Dan Nutt and Ward 8 Councilman Joshua Thornsberry voted against the proposal.
Council didn’t discuss the matter either before or after its vote.
However, following the tally of the vote, Council President Joel Arredondo said, “Welcome to Lorain.”
The developers have not disclosed when construction will begin.
