Elyria Plans to Employ Consultant for Boosting Local Retail

# Elyria’s New Chapter: A Retail Renaissance

## Struggling Streets and Silent Sidewalks

In a town where the heart’s barely beating, Elyria’s streets have fallen quiet. Remember the days when folks casually wandered over to the local [Aldi for their groceries](https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/aldi-closing-carlisle-twp-store-next-week-relocating-to-chestnut-ridge-rd-in-elyria)? Well, those days are drifting. South Elyria’s tilling for a change, craving a resurrection of retail right in their backyard.

“It’s like a ghost town around here,” laments Mary Kilijanczyk. This neighborhood soul, like many others, trudges along to far-off shops, missing the short strolls to their now-closed Aldi or Family Dollar. Remember the clamor when [dollar stores started locking their doors across Ohio](https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/dollar-tree-family-dollar-to-close-35-stores-across-ohio-this-week-heres-the-list)? Mary’s stuck hitching rides or trudging on foot, a pain when even frozen fun takes the next bus outta town.

## Bringing Fresh Faces: Enter Retail Strategies

In the face of such retail rubble, Elyria’s got one thing on its mind: rebirth. They’re bringing on the big guns—Retail Strategies. This out-of-state whiz is tasked with luring stores back to these barren boulevards. They’ve got a deal that’ll set them back $150,000 over three years, paid from economic development cash.

Mayor Kevin Brubaker’s setting his sights high. He envisions a city where fresh aisles and gleaming shelves become the new normal. “[Our folks are spending $125 million elsewhere](https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/we-follow-through/consultant-to-help-improve-access-to-groceries-medicine-in-lorain-neighborhoods),” he notes, urging the need to curtail the cash exodus. Elyria’s ready, with space and promises galore.

## Looking Next Door for Inspiration

Take a peek at Lorain, Elyria’s funky little neighbor. They’ve roped in Retail Strategies too, hoping to revive their grocery and pharmacy scene. Mayor Jack Bradley’s got health and wellness on his brain, a vision to make every resident’s pantry and medicine cabinet the envy of Ohio.

This storyline isn’t about Elyria alone. It sparks a trend as small towns everywhere could use an infusion of retail vitality.

## Midway Mall and Elyria’s Future

There’s a blueprint too. Midway Mall, awaiting a revamp, sits like a sleeping giant. It’s Elyria’s potential comeback stage, with ideas swirling and the hope of attractions sparking new interest. Mayor Brubaker talks of luring just the right stores to set the scene and breathe life back into this locale, anchoring Elyria as a shopping sanctuary right in the heart of quiet Ohio.

## The Road Ahead

In essence, Elyria’s on the hunt—not just for stores, but for a transformation that’ll outlast us all. Transition times are always rocky, yet the city’s poised at the precipice of potential. For Elyrians like Mary, it’s the anticipation of a full grocery cart and neighborhood pride restored.

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_If you’ve got a bone to pick or a story to follow, let ’em know. News 5’s got your back, keeping tabs on this journey towards rejuvenation._