As the year comes to a close, we’re proud of the continued progress of RISE, Cleveland’s most comprehensive public safety strategy. By strengthening partnerships, making smart investments, and modernizing policing, RISE is delivering real results, and we’re just getting started.
I had the honor of welcoming the families of the USS Cleveland crew to our great city ahead of this weekend’s commissioning ceremony. This moment represents something truly historic for both Cleveland and our nation.
The commissioning of the USS Cleveland marks a milestone unmatched in American naval history, and this week’s celebration reflects the magnitude of that achievement. USS Cleveland Commissioning Week is more than a series of events. It is a citywide tribute that brings together sailors, veterans, families, community leaders, and residents from across Northeast Ohio to celebrate service, sacrifice, and patriotism.
Most importantly, this week is a reminder that behind every service member is a family whose strength, love, and support help carry them through every mission.
Welcome to Cleveland!
Today is a big day for Cleveland.
We’re announcing The Midline — a 350-acre transformation of long-vacant industrial land on the near east side into something this city has needed for a long time: jobs, connection, and opportunity built right back into our neighborhoods.
For decades, this land was part of Cleveland’s story of loss, closed factories, vacant space, and neighborhoods left disconnected from the economic growth happening elsewhere. Too many families lived with the impact of that disinvestment.
Today, we change that.
The Midline will turn this corridor into a connected employment district and public greenway, bringing new investment, new jobs, and new access to opportunity. At full buildout, it will support more than 2,500 jobs and create over 1.5 million square feet of new industrial and commercial space, in a location that puts opportunity within a 30-minute commute for nearly 900,000 workers.
This work has been built step by step with partners, including the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund and the Cleveland Foundation, City Council, and neighbors who never stopped pushing for more.
Cleveland’s future is being built on land that was once left behind, and this time, our residents are at the center of it.
I was proud to join Sherwin-Williams leadership, elected officials, employees, and regional partners to celebrate the opening of the company’s new global headquarters in Downtown Cleveland.
The opening of Sherwin-Williams’ new headquarters is a powerful example of Cleveland’s continued momentum and confidence in our downtown core. For more than 160 years, Sherwin-Williams has chosen Cleveland as its home, and Sherwin-Williams new HQ reinforces that our city remains a place where global companies can grow, innovate, and create opportunity. Through the Cleveland ERA, we are strengthening Downtown Cleveland as a center for jobs, investment, and economic activity that benefits the entire region.
As Cleveland continues to grow, we need to build high-quality housing faster and more efficiently.
To wrap up our work to bring a leading off-site construction manufacturer to Cleveland, I toured modular and panelized homes from manufacturers across the country.
What I saw are real, scalable solutions that can help us reduce costs, speed up construction, and deliver high-quality homes for our residents.
This is about taking what we’ve learned and putting it to work, bringing new homes, new jobs, and new momentum to neighborhoods across our city.
I know there’s growing concerns around data centers. My administration is working directly with City Council and regional leadership to strengthen our understanding of impacts, and put strong guardrails in place that protect residents, neighborhoods, and our environment.
This work is ongoing, and we’ll keep being transparent and accountable as we move forward.
I want to thank the dedicated crews across all nine utility teams who worked around the clock to repair the sinkhole at West 3rd and West St. Clair. This was one of the most complex infrastructure challenges our city has faced, and it took coordination, expertise, and persistence to get it done right.
I also want to thank our residents, businesses, and commuters for their patience as we worked to restore this critical intersection. We know how important this area is to Downtown Cleveland.
We are on track to reopen the intersection ahead of the Cleveland Marathon, and we look forward to getting this area moving again safely and efficiently.
I am proud to celebrate the launch of a new daily nonstop service between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Montreal (YUL) through Air Canada.
This route is another step in strengthening Cleveland’s role as a global gateway - making it easier for travelers, employers, and visitors to connect Cleveland to major markets across North America and beyond. I want to thank Air Canada for investing in Cleveland and being a part of our city’s momentum.
Through the Cleveland ERA, we are strengthening Cleveland’s long-term economic competitiveness and tourism potential.
Summer Sprout reflects who we are as a city. For nearly 50 years, Clevelanders have taken vacant land and turned it into something meaningful. Since 1976, this program has helped neighborhoods reclaim space and create opportunity where people live. At its peak, nearly 200 community gardens were active across our city. That tells you the demand is real.
Last night at the Cleveland Foundation, we brought residents together for a Summer Sprout Town Hall to talk about the impact, what we are fixing, and what comes next.
Community gardens are anchors in our neighborhoods. They expand access to fresh food, improve health, and turn vacant lots into safer, active spaces where people connect. That is why my administration is committed to strengthening this program. We are investing $250,000 from our general fund, thanks to Councilwoman Hudson. Summer Sprout now sits within our Department of Public Health. We are also launching a Community Advisory Board, so gardeners can help shape the future of this work.
As we mark 50 years of Summer Sprout, we honor the legacy and stay focused on what comes next. I am proud to announce that our partners at the Cleveland Clinic are contributing $100,000 to Food Access Raises Everyone to support local farmers and gardeners across Cleveland.
Public service is the backbone of Cleveland. It is the daily work, often unseen, that keeps our city running and our communities cared for.
Today, we honor that commitment through the story of Gerald Moore.
For 54 years, Gerald Moore has served the people of Cleveland. He began in April 1972 as a Municipal Service Laborer, and through decades of hard work and dedication, he rose to lead as Ground Maintenance Unit Leader at the Johnston Parkway Station. His career spans generations of Clevelanders, and his impact lives in the parks, public spaces, and neighborhoods he helped care for every single day.
Mr. Moore, on behalf of the City of Cleveland, thank you. Thank you for more than five decades of service. Thank you for the example you set for all of us. And thank you for leaving this city better than you found it.
