Brook Park, Ohio- Economic Development

The Economic Development Department seeks to increase our tax and job base, and improve our visual environment by keeping our existing businesses here and healthy; by attracting new businesses; and by assisting with property development. Our efforts pay off in the form of the low tax rates and high quality services that our residents and business constituents have come to expect.

Brook Park Is A Member Community Of The
First Suburbs Consortium

Click the link below for
Available Properties

Click the link below for
Brook Park Traffic Counts

From The Newsletter

As the new Commissioner of Economic Development, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Elliott, City Council and the City of Brook Park�s staff for welcoming me into the city and for helping me to get acclimated. Everyone has been so helpful and supportive. It�s a pleasure coming to work every day! I am excited to be part of the Brook Park team and am looking forward to a long and rewarding career here!

NEED HELP? 211 �FIRSTCALL" FOR HELP MAY BE THE ANSWER

Need mortgage payment assistance? Loan counseling? Utility assistance? If you need help about any social, health or governmental resources, day or night, dial 211 for a free, confidential referral service operated by United Way of Greater Cleveland. When you call 211, a professional Information Specialist will discuss your needs and connect you to one of the 2,000 agencies that can help you with basic needs such as food, clothing, housing and utility assistance; health and mental health resources such as Medicaid, Medicare, community clinics, support groups and counseling; work support such as job training and education programs; financial management, budgeting, tax assistance and credit counseling programs; support for older adults and persons with disabilities such as adult day care, Meals on Wheels, home health care and transportation; youth and family services such as Head Start, recreation programs, parenting help, child support and custody, mentoring and tutoring; and more. Last year, over 100,000 people were helped through First Call for Help. Dial 211 to get help today.

FORD and NASA UPDATES

Ford and NASA are tremendous assets to the community and have an enormous impact on our
local and regional economy. We focus a great deal of attention and efforts on these two
important entities. Here�s an update:
NASA Glenn Research Center: Employment is stable with approximately 3100 civil servants and contractors. Glenn has received significant oversight for portions of the new Constellation program. Constellation is the next generation of space exploration with a new Orion Orbiter and
Ares V rocket, set to replace the space shuttle which is scheduled to be decommissioned in
2010. Orion hopes to be headed back to the Moon, Mars and beyond by 2015. NASA Glenn will host an Open House as part of NASA�s 50th Anniversary Celebration: The public open houses will be held at NASA's Glenn Research Center Lewis Field in Cleveland on May 17 and 18 and at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky on May 31 and June 1. The hours for each day of the two events will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Among the things to do and see are:
� Tour research facilities at Lewis Field including wind tunnels used to develop and verify cutting-edge technologies for use in aeronautics, aerospace and space. At Plum Brook tour the Space Power Facility where research has been done involving the space station and
Mars rovers and where tests will be done on NASA's new rockets that will travel to the
moon and beyond.
� Talk to and ask questions of the engineers, scientists and technical personnel who work in the facilities to learn about the exciting work being done right here in Ohio.
� See NASA aircraft used for flight research involving solar cell calibration, sensor development,
aircraft icing and environmental research.
� Take part in hands-on, educational activities for children.
� Attend special presentations at the Visitor Center at Lewis Field.
Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, along with space-themed
souvenirs and NASA merchandise. See the open house website for more details: http://nasa50th.grc.nasa.gov.
Ford: Last year Ford announced the closure of the Casting Plant, but did, however extend the closure from 2009 to 2010. Additionally, Engine Plant #1 is still idle at the time of this writing and Engine Plant #2 continues to operate. Employment is under 2000 with more buyouts expected to be offered and accepted by Ford workers. The City is working diligently with regional, State and Federal resources as well as Ford Motor Company to secure placement, training and other services for Ford employees; planning and developing ideas for the Casting Plant property; and continues to explore opportunities for Engine Plants I and II.

PROGRAMS

Homestead Exemption Program
The Homestead Exemption Program offers reductions in property taxes for senior citizens and disabled individuals that meet income qualifications. For more information on this program, call the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s office at 216-443-7050.

Taxpayer Liaison
The Taxpayer Liaison Department assists taxpayers in obtaining refunds on property tax overpayments. For more information about property tax overpayments, please call the Taxpayer Liaison Department at 216-443-7422.

Tax Escrow Account Management Program (T.E.A.M.)
The T.E.A.M. program is a free service of the Cuyahoga County Treasurer’s office. T.E.A.M. allows property owners in Cuyahoga County to pay their property taxes in easy monthly installments, avoiding large tax bills twice a year. For more information on the T.E.A.M. program, call 216-443-7420.

Heritage Home Loan Program (H.E.L.P.)
The H.E.L.P. program is a low interest home improvement loan program of the Cuyahoga County Treasurer’s office. The program reduces the lowest rate a bank will offer you by 3%. The H.E.L.P. program is available through participating banks in Cuyahoga County and has no maximum income limit. For more information on the H.E.L.P. program, call 216-443-2149.

Home Energy Assistance Program (H.E.A.P)
The Ohio Department of Development offers several programs to help low income Ohioans pay their utility bills and improve the energy efficiency of their homes. These programs are based on gross income of all adult household members. For more information, call HEAP’s toll free number 1-800-282-0880.

ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES

Businesses locate in Brook Park to benefit from a number of strategic economic advantages:
� Ford Motor Co's Brookpark Rd. Engine Plant
� NASA's Glenn Research Center
� Immediate access to the region's labor market
� Direct access to Interstates 480, 71 and nearby Interstates 90, 80 and 77
� Direct access to numerous rail lines and sidings, with nearby intermodal facilities
� Instant access to the adjacent Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and International Exposition (I-X) Center
� Proximity to the amenities of the central city
� Excellent City services and competitive tax rates
Over 450 businesses with 18,000 employees agree: Why go anywhere else?

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
The City of Brook Park's businesses drive our local economy, provide quality jobs for our residents and add character to our community. Chief employment sectors include health services, aerospace research & development, primary metal industries, transportation and fabricated metal products. We work hard to keep our 450 businesses "here and healthy" and to attract new businesses.

SITE VISITS
We proactively visit our businesses to build relationships so that problems can be uncovered and addressed in their early stages. Call us at 216-433-7059 to arrange a site visit anytime.

SITE SELECTION ASSISTANCE
Expanding, relocating or even downsizing? We can meet your site selection needs with our list of available properties in Brook Park. We feature a mix of R&D office/laboratory space, small-to-mid-sized industrial buildings, large warehouses, transportation-oriented warehouses and truck dock buildings.
Click here for a current list of available properties or contact us at 216-433-7059

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
We collaborate with regional service providers such as Cuyahoga County, the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority and the State of Ohio to provide a full line of fixed asset and working capital financing, environmental remediation support and workforce development and attraction. Let us know how we can help.