Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield outlines downtown plans, future development in State of the City (VIDEO)

ELYRIA — Downtown redevelopment plans are not stopping with the fire that destroyed the building housing the former Uncle Vic's nightclub. At his annual State of the City address Thursday, Mayor Frank Whitfield said a redevelopment plan for the area is still in place. The address, done in conjunction with Lorain, was streamed virtually. Only a limited audience of close staff and sponsors attended in person. He and Uncle Vic's building owner Kevin Flanigan had an original vision for downtown that included market-level apartments, retail and restaurants with a redesigned alleyway. Whitfield said it's been his plan since he came into office to transform downtown. But the fire hit just as momentum and excitement was building, he said. Earlier in the week, Whitfield said he met with Flanigan with the expectation that he might have second thoughts given the fire. Instead, Whitfield said he was met with stubborn optimism. Whitfield said they are still committed to the plan. The Foundry will have outdoor dining in 2021; there will be a new banquet and party hall in the summer; and Whitfield is aiming for an innovation center downtown by the end of 2021. Whitfield said Flanigan will rebuild the Uncle Vic's building he had planned to redevelop. Those initial redevelopment plans of the building were created before the pandemic, Whitfield said. The innovation center would be housed at the former Powerhouse Gym. That had been part of Whitfield's plan at the beginning of his term, when the city was looking into buying the building. City Council and the administration determined the cost would be too steep to buy and then rehab the building. Instead, in September 2020, Elyria Block Development LLC bought the former Powerhouse Gym for $157,000. Whitfield said that company is owned by Flanigan, too. He also owns the Robinson building, which came close to catching fire during the Uncle Vic's fire, meaning Flanigan owns that entire city block between Kerstetter Way and Washington Avenue. Whitfield said he is proud of Flanigan's resilience and that he challenged him to remain committed to the plans he's touted since day one. Whitfield would like to use the innovation center to start the first esports locale in Lorain County, in partnership with Lorain County Community College. Those talks are still ongoing, and not yet set in stone. Lorain also is working on an esports program and is in talks with Kent State University. To redevelop downtown, Whitfield said he's working with Gov. Mike DeWine and State Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, to secure grant money from JobsOhio. Midway Mall also has seen recent development, with more possibly in the works. Recently, a developer of the Sears site got a rezoning to light industrial approved. That will potentially make way for an unnamed distribution facility. But the mall also is being eyed as a potential site for a health and wellness center, Whitfield said. Whitfield said city officials are having discussions with University Hospitals, Cleveland Clinic and Mercy Health over the possibility. While discussions are still in early stages, Whitfield said one thing community members have wanted is an aquatic facility. He said he's been working to figure out how that can happen. He's looking at the type of facilities in Avon, Oberlin and Amherst. An aquatic facility wouldn't take up the entire mall, Whitfield said, and there would still be room for other developments. Whitfield also said he is working to implement a community plan to recover from the social hit the pandemic made on citizens. It's called the Ely LIFE project, where LIFE stands for leisure, inspiration, fitness and entertainment. That includes supporting local restaurants, trails, biking and parks. There are five trails in the city, with a sixth one probably coming this year. The city also is opening a dog park at Hilltop Park. Whitfield did not touch much on the city's Parks and Recreation Department, nor on his open letter to City Council he posted on Facebook on Wednesday. In that letter, he criticized Council for what he deemed a lack of respect toward him and his administration and for City Council's focus on the Parks and Recreation Department when he said other issues should be the focus. Instead, Whitfield mostly focused on how his administration was impacted by the pandemic, and how it responded to it. Whitfield said he didn't expect a global pandemic and nationwide unrest from social justice issues and the presidential election in his first year in office. But he said it was key for him and other leaders to step up to meet the moments the year provided. Whitfield touted the city's response to COVID-19 and social justice issues. He cited WeCare, which delivers food and other needs to local seniors. The city also provided CARES Act dollars to child care providers to help build a better technology infrastructure. Whitfield said he's calling on Congress to pass the new stimulus bill that would provide more funding to cities. Whitfield said he doesn't want Elyria to recover from the pandemic and go back to where it used to be. He said he wants to build things back better than they were before. Contact Laina Yost at (440) 329-7121 or lyost@chroniclet.com.