Cuyahoga committee advances $36,293 ARPA grant for Garfield Heights church gym floor

The Cuyahoga County Community Development Committee voted Monday to send to full council a resolution to award up to $36,293.06 from the District 8 ARPA community grant fund to the city of Garfield Heights for a new gymnasium floor at Saint John Lutheran Church.

The funding is intended to give local youth indoor space for basketball and volleyball when colder weather makes outdoor courts unusable. "For better than a decade, Saint John Lutheran Church has made this basketball court ... available for the youth of the city to come and play," Garfield Heights Mayor Matt Burke told the committee, describing missing and cracked tiles and previous piecemeal repairs.

The mayor said the city has already converted outdoor tennis courts to basketball courts at Debelec Park and that families use those outdoor courts daily. He told the committee the requested amount covers supplier and contractor estimates to remove the existing tile, install a reinforced subfloor and lay new tile and sport striping so the gym can serve basketball and volleyball.

Council President Jones and Councilwoman Turner both praised the partnership between the city and the church and the project’s potential to increase youth engagement. "That strengthens the family. That's community development," Council President Jones said.

A motion to move the item to the full county council for three readings was made, seconded and approved by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Committee members added their names to the referral before the item was forwarded.

Next steps: the resolution will appear on the full council docket for three readings and final vote.