Describing the Eastlake’s successes in opening and expanding businesses, and finishing road work this year, Mayor Dennis Morley thinks the city is flourishing.

Morley said 2019 was a year of growth with the introduction of new projects and the completion of old ones. He foresees continuing that success through 2020 and beyond.

“Out of the six years that I’ve been in office, we’re probably our (financially) healthiest now that we’ve ever been and I want to continue to have that and to have a healthy carryover,” Morley said.

He references new businesses like Taco Vago and The Original Steaks and Hoagies opening their doors to customers this year, and established locations finding continued success, like Jakprints and Buckeye Relief, which began selling CBD gummies this year.

“It’s just been a good year in general for our businesses,” Morley said. “They’ve been all healthy and expanding.”

As far as construction goes, Morley reported the completion of work on Willowick Drive and the Waverly Road project where a new sanitary sewer line went in. He said the first phase of the Galalina Boulevard pump station project is nearing completion and that phase two is expected to start next year, involving new storm sewers and roads.

Morley expects more construction in Eastlake’s future, especially with the upcoming Vine Street Corridor project in development with the mayors of Willoughby, Willowick and Laketran.

“We’re hoping to have some more public meetings with our residents on Vine Street next year,” he said.

He said one of the biggest projects put into action next year is expected to be road repairs on Stevens Boulevard spanning Lakeshore Boulevard in Lakeline to the Willoughby border.