CITY OVERVIEW Continued from page 8
past the Strongsville Historical Village and the Strongsville branch of the Cuyahoga County Library — the busiest branch in the county. The project, which Perciak said has been “a long time coming,” is the result of cooperation and partnerships among public agencies, civic organizations and the faith community, which Perciak said work in cooperation to make Strongsville a better place to live and raise families. Adding to county, state, regional and federal grants, organizations like the Rotary Club of Strongsville, the Strongsville Chamber of Commerce, the Strongsville City Club and Southwest General Health Center made contributions to the project. The project began with a survey of residents, the mayor recalled. “We did a survey to assess the needs of the community and to find out what was important to residents,” he said. “An outdoor pool or splash pad was a high priority. Many people pointed out that the existing Castletown playground is outdated and needs work to make it more usable for children with disabilities, so it’s going to be replaced with the latest equipment. Those are two of the major components of the Town Center project.” The pavilion, Perciak said, is another important part of the project. “Years ago people never dreamed of having a wedding in an outdoor pavilion, but today it is very popular,” he said.
10 Strongsville Image Book & Community Guide | 2023
“This will give people a fresh air venue for weddings, graduations and other parties.” Construction is expected to start in the spring and should take about a year to complete, Perciak said. “It will be a big new piece to what is already an ideal community,” he said. “Although Strongsville is one of the most populous cities in Cuyahoga County, it still has the feel of a small home town community.” Because of the growth of the city’s business sector, income tax collections — which account for the bulk of its general fund — have increased from $29 million in 2012 to almost $41 million in 2021, without raising the city’s two percent tax rate, Perciak noted. “That’s why economic development is so important,” he said. “The growth in our tax base allowed us to continue to deliver services, even during bad times like the pandemic. We’re proud of the services we provide. We spend half our budget on safety, which is another reason why people want to live in Strongsville.” Among 59 cities in Cuyahoga County, Perciak said, Strongsville’s appraised real estate value is second only to Cleveland’s. “We have 16,000 homes, compared to Cleveland’s 112,000 homes, and our valuation is higher than cities like Parma, which has almost double the number of homes we have,” he said. “Buying a home in Strongsville has proven to be an excellent investment.”