Parma 2023

Welcome to Parma!

It is my pleasure to present the Parma Magazine and Community Guide, and to highlight the amenities the seventh largest city in Ohio provides residents, visitors and businesses.

We have a strong housing market, beautiful neighborhoods, outstanding safety forces, top-quality health care and award-winning libraries. Our business-friendly environment is attractive to manufacturing, banks, national retail chains and many small businesses. Lately, we have seen an increase in restaurant owners picking Parma to open their new locations, many of which offer international cuisine. These new offerings, along with the family-owned restaurants and bakeries that have been around for decades, provide something for everyone to enjoy. Visitors to Parma should not leave our city hungry.

Another big draw to Parma is our

picturesque 18-hole Ridgewood Golf Course, nestled in the center of town. The city plans to build a new clubhouse/event center for golfers and non-golfers, which we expect to be completed in time for the course's 100th anniversary, July 4, 2025.

Not far from the golf course in our city's center is The Shoppes at Parma; Anthony Zielinski Park’s Splash Pad; Donna Smallwood Activities Center for senior residents; Northeast Ohio’s second largest stadium Byers Field; and the 48-acre Stearns Homestead. Additionally, we have 469-acres of public greenspace in the Metroparks West Creek Reservation, which includes the Watershed Stewardship Center, biking and hiking trails, pavilions and scenic picnic areas. The reservation preserves forest-draped hillsides, floodplains and babbling brooks, offering easy access to nature’s wonders

every season.

Parks and Recreation provides residents with various ways to stay active. We have tennis courts and built two additional pickleball courts this year. The parks also provide miniature golf; disc golf; pools; baseball/softball diamonds; soccer fields; an indoor ice rink; playgrounds; and, for those wanting an extreme outdoor workout, Warrior Fitness Course.

In Parma, there is always something to do. Flip through this issue and read more about why our city is a wonderful place to live, work and play.

See you in Parma, Mayor Tim DeGeeter

Photo: Iler Aerial Imaging

Ridgewood Golf Course

Where Tradition Parma and Culture Abound

After living as Yugoslavian refugees in Germany, young Igor Djurin and his family ultimately made their way to Parma in 2005 and have lived here ever since. “We came to Parma because of its diversity,” said the owner of the Schnitz Ale Brewery & Pub, located across the street from Das Schnitzel Haus, a local staple owned by Djurin’s parents, Goran and Branka. “My father was a butcher by trade,” Djurin explained. “My mom had always

worked in the restaurant business. We came to the [Cleveland area] with very little in 1999 and my parents started a convenience store in Lakewood. When an opportunity for the Schnitzel Haus came up in 2005 it was a natural choice to move into one of the most ethnically diverse communities around. We are Serbian Croatian and we fit in well with the Ukrainian, Romanian and other communities. Parma is like a small town in a bigger city.”

With almost 80,000 residents—and home to more than 5,000 businesses— Parma is Ohio’s seventh largest city and Cleveland’s largest suburb. And, according to Livability, a website that researches small-to-medium sized cities, Parma is one of America’s Top 100 cities in which to live, joining Cincinnati as the only Ohio towns to make the 2023 list.

Location, housing opportunities and ›› Continued on page 6

Photos: Carolyn Kovach

Where Tradition and Culture Abound

›› Continued from page 5

unique neighborhoods are among the things that make Parma an ideal place to live, said Mayor Tim DeGeeter. “We have a lot of excellent amenities in the city, with neighborhoods like Ukrainian Village and Polish Village, and we’re conveniently close to many others,” he said. “We’re close to Downtown and the Tremont community. From the north side of town it’s a really quick ride to go down to Progressive Field and see a Guardian's game. With access to the Jennings Freeway and I-480 we’re pretty centrally located to go east or west.”

The city also features a wide inventory of home styles from traditional bungalows in the northern areas to larger colonials in established subdivisions like Dogwood Estates and Sassafras Hills. “If you are a young family looking to buy a home, we've got safe, walkable neighborhoods with small businesses that dot the landscape, a lot of churches and a lot of fun bars,” DeGeeter said. “We’re becoming a foodie town with some really hip smaller restaurants.”

Other traditional Parma associations—some of which have long drawn lighthearted ribbing from throughout the county—also remain hip in the community, DeGeeter noted. “My home is well represented with pink flamingos and gazing balls,” he said. “We like promoting the pink flamingo as an image of Parma. It’s a cool thing that old and young residents appreciate. When fourth graders come to tour City Hall for a civics lesson, they always tell me they can guess

what my favorite animal is. It’s pretty obvious, because I have so many pink flamingos in my office. It’s a fun thing that we embrace as a symbol of the city. We also embrace our distinction as the self-proclaimed paczki capital of the world.”

DeGeeter said he also embraces the city’s tagline— “Progress through Partnerships”—which emphasizes the collaboration that has made Parma a desired city in which to live and work. “The city government can't do everything alone. We need partners to help maintain a high quality of life in the city,” DeGeeter said. “That’s why we work with organizations like We Are Parma Proud, a nonprofit group that puts on community events. We partner with local businesses, organizations and area leaders to improve recreation, senior and city services, boost economic development and update aging infrastructure.”

Economic development in the city remains strong, the mayor reported.

DeGeeter presented his 2023 State of the City address at WorkHub99—a former General Motors (GM) training facility—where 10 small businesses employ more than 50 workers. GM recently completed a $46 million expansion of its local metal fabrication plant, and about 17 acres of property, once occupied by MTD Products, is ripe for new development, DeGeeter said. “Our businesses are our lifeline,” he said. “The income tax base provides the funding to hire police, firemen and other city employees.” In 2022, the city brought in almost $51 million in income tax revenue—up almost $9 million compared to 2021.

In the retail sector, residents’ shopping and dining options

Paid for by Friends of Timothy J. DeGeeter l 6009 Dawn Vista Oval, Parma 44129

Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter

Schnitz Ale Brewery celebrates their one year anniversary with a ribbon cutting and special happy hour on November 8, 2022.

continue to expand with the addition of new businesses throughout the city. Parma offers a blend of national chains and local businesses, DeGeeter said. “You don’t need to leave Parma for anything,” he said. “We have wonderful bakeries and excellent meat shops. And we have larger retail stores, like Ace Hardware and the new Aldi on the north side. We're really proud of the new development at the Shoppes of Parma (formerly Parmatown Mall), because when I first became mayor in 2012 the mall was in receivership and the future was unknown. When you drive through Ukrainian Village, Polish Village and shopping areas like Quarry Square and Acme Plaza, you don’t see many vacancies.”

Balancing Parma’s vibrant retail districts, the city boasts ample parkland and recreational opportunities, DeGeeter said. Complementing the 326-acre West Creek Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks, the city operates Veterans Memorial Park and James Day Park and many smaller parks. “We have walking paths and all kinds of amenities, including tennis and new pickle ball courts,” he said. “Our municipally-owned Ridgewood Golf Course offers another unique recreational option.”

Photos: Carolyn Kovach

Meanwhile, the Donna Smallwood Activity Center provides a variety of activities and services to the city’s seniors.