A vision for the City of Beachwood
With the vision of Mayor Justin Berns propelling it forward, the City of Beachwood is prepping for a prosperous future.
One of the most established and respected Cleveland suburbs is poised for explosive growth. Find out what Beachwood Mayor Justin Berns envisions for the future. (Photography: Discovery Photo)
Over the past several years, Beachwood civic leaders have forged partnerships with regional powerhouses to sculpt and implement a bold vision of economic development and community revitalization.
“We see our city as a proactive, visionary force in regional development, where economic strength and quality of life are mutually compatible and strategically interconnected,” says Mayor Justin Berns, who took office in 2022.
Fostering Development and Revitalization
According to Economic Development Director Cathy Bieterman, two main focuses that have driven the city’s strategy address new development, such as Chagrin Highlands, and redevelopment and revitalization of underutilized sites, including Commerce Park, which is the city’s oldest commercial district.
“For instance, we were recently joined by Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel and Team NEO CEO Matt Dolan for the grand opening of Millennium Control Systems’ new headquarters,” says Cathy. “The modernized 115,000-square-foot facility is the result of a public-private partnership the city undertook to create new site opportunities within Commerce Park. This has allowed us to target and attract a strong company now positioned for growth. Millennium Control Systems will bring 70 new jobs to the area, positively impacting the community and our economy.”
She reports that the City of Beachwood is home to more than 2,500 companies, 25,000 employees who come here daily to work, and 100,000 people who visit daily for the exceptional retail shopping and medical hospitals and facilities.
“We offer a high-growth environment that supports emerging industries. For example, Trailhead Biosystems purchased a building in Commerce Park and renovated it into state-of-the-art lab space — the ideal setting as they work to revolutionize cellular research. Attracting businesses like this requires unique commercial space, a supportive government and a highly collaborative environment — and Beachwood brings it all together.”
She explains a goal is to continue to see tax revenues increase for the benefit of residents.
“Commercial revitalization and new development will increase commercial property tax values and add new income tax revenue used to support amenities for residents,” she says.
Acquiring Land to Develop
In March, the city approved $3 million from the Capital Projects Fund to support aquisition of 43 acres of vacant land in Chagrin Highlands.
“This has been an ongoing opportunity the city has pursued for 20 years,” says Mayor Berns. “The vital, developable piece of land will make us more competitive to become a hub for high-impact industry leaders and national and global businesses going forward.”
A key step to connecting the Chagrin Highlands land to Commerce Park, broadening access and easing traffic flow along Chagrin Boulevard, will be building a new roadway from Harvard Road to Mercantile Road.
Sensitivity to Serving the Community
Mayor Bern explains that as the city grows, so must its supporting infrastructure.
After the city purchased the 17.5-acre site of the former Fairmount Temple for $8 million in summer of 2024, it sent a survey to residents to discover what they felt would be the best use of the land.
“There hasn’t been a new neighborhood in Beachwood since the 1980s,” says Mayor Bern. “Essentially, the reason is there hasn’t been developable land available. According to the survey, people told us they felt we needed more age-targeted residential housing for seniors, so we are in discussion with developers to build 80 to 90 single-family and cluster homes between 1,800 and 2,200 square feet.”
Another proof point of progress for the city is the proposed Richmond/Chagrin I-271 Corridor Project.
“As a destination in the region, we take traffic and safety issues seriously,” he says. “We are collaborating with the Ohio Department of Transportation to redesign the I-271 corridor. By identifying high accident spots and traffic flow, we’re coming up with plans for creating dedicated access lanes to the highway, as well as widening the bridge that stretches across it. We expect the project to begin in 2028.”
Home to premier shopping, dining, world-class health care and recreational amenities, Beachwood is a vibrant and visionary municipality. Visit BeachwoodOhio.com for more information.
Investing in Recreational Amenities
Economic growth in Beachwood translates to increased funds to invest in recreational facilities.
Mayor Justin Berns reports over the past three years he’s been in office, they’ve thoughtfully increased ways to play that meet the evolving needs of the community. They’ve added six dedicated pickleball courts to join the eight permanent tennis courts and sand volleyball courts.
“During Covid, we founded community gardens to provide people with safe ways to interact and thrive through a new pastime,” he says. “Due to the overwhelming response, we’ve grown that number to 86 permanent gardens located near the Community Center for neighbors to enjoy.”
Another top-tier recreational amenity that draws people from all over the region is Beachwood Playground, which opened its gates in spring of 2024.
“Designed to promote healthy playtime and spark creativity for all ages of children and abilities, the fully ADA-accessible, fenced-in play space includes climbing wall, a zip line, a sandbox, a 25-foot tower, swings, musical and art elements, Ohio’s first Trekfit Summit Climber, a pavilion with tables and shade flowers,” he says. “From our aquatic center to outdoor trails, as well as retail and dining opportunities, we want to be seen as a city that contributes to a healthy work-life balance.”
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