Willowick Mayor Michael Vanni recently reported that Willowick Cafe will benefit from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council Energized Community Grant Program. According to Vanni, this is one of Willowick’s local business grants from NOPEC. “We’re hoping this gets opened up in the fall of this year,” Vanni said. “There was paperwork drawn from NOPEC that this will be an energy special improvement district. (Willowick City Councilman) Pat Mohorcic is doing a lot of the heavy lifting on that.” According to NOPEC, the program provides grants to existing NOPEC member electric and gas communities. The program began at the beginning of this year with the primary goal of providing funds to help communities implement energy savings or energy infrastructure measures. Vanni anticipates that this will also help businesses and spur economic development in the city. Last year, John Polito, of Polito Properties, LLC, submitted a letter to the Willowick Plan Review Board to renovate the entire first floor building, located at 28809 Lakeshore Blvd., into a tavern restaurant. “Our venue was previously contained to the east side of the first floor with the adjacent former barber shop to the west serving as storage,” Polito said in his letter. “Our intent is to welcome in the rich history of both spaces into one cohesive eatery, tavern and coffeehouse sure to please all of Willowick and beyond.” According to Polito, his family has owned the Willowick Cafe since 1980. “We take great pride in having the opportunity to be a part of continuing Willowick’s economic momentum down Lakeshore Boulevard,” Polito said. Mohorcic expressed that the city needs “TLC” in the area of the special improvement district and thinks the city has come to a good point to get their collateral in place. “A lot of the commercial real estate and residential you’re seeing in the market, the interest plays a huge role,” he said. “NOPEC comes in as a secondary lender. Restaurants are risky and banks were not lending.” Over the last three years, Willowick has been building on economic development momentum. Vanni said right after he became mayor in 2022, the timing of the improvement district was not right due to the market and rates going up. Now, Vanni said the plan looks great and is hoping to get it done as soon as possible. Vanni plans to follow up on potential economic development plans for Shoregate Town Center going forward.