Smith Announces $22.1M Investment in Cuyahoga County Projects

June 3, 2026

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) commended the Ohio Senate’s passage of the state’s capital budget (Senate Bill 450), which includes $3.7 million within Ohio’s 21st Senate District, over $22.1 million for Cuyahoga County as a whole, and $10 million in infrastructure improvements for East Cleveland through the Public Works Commission.

“This was the best capital budget that I have been a part of since I first joined the legislature in 2015. Regional assets like the Rock Hall, the Art Museum, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and the Natural History Museum received critical support, while smaller organizations like the Food Strong Superior Farm and Dobama Theater also received substantial assistance. Cities and neighborhoods like Euclid, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights, and Shaker Square will be able to provide more recreation and community gathering space so that residents become neighbors,” said Smith. “Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, the Magnolia Clubhouse, and Maltz Museum will be able to continue to touch lives thanks to this state support. But perhaps no community needed more than East Cleveland. After years of neglect from lawmakers in Columbus, East Cleveland will receive $10 million to help rebuild Euclid Avenue, the city's main artery, which should be the first major step towards that community's comeback. In short, life will get better in District 21 and Cuyahoga County as a result of the 2026 capital budget, and I am proud to help deliver those results.”

Overall, the bill appropriates $3.7 billion in capital funding, including $208 million for community projects across the state.

Local projects in the bill include:

$2,000,000 for The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Redesign & Renovation Project
$700,000 for the Sims Park Playground Improvement
$300,000 for the Cumberland Aquatic Recreational Replacement Project
$250,000 for the Centennial Campaign for the City of Cleveland’s Historic Shaker Square
$200,000 for the Cleveland Habitat Building Project
$200,000 for the Maple Heights Playground Improvement Plan
$150,000 for Birthing Beautiful Communities Birth Center & Headquarters
$150,000 for the City of Lyndhurst’s Echoes of Unity: Community Amphitheater Project
$150,000 for the Garfield Heights Parks and Recreation Improvement Project
$100,000 for the Euclid Heritage Trail-Zone 2
$100,000 for the Interactive Media Lab at MidTown Collaboration Center
$100,000 for the Superior Farm Fixup
$100,000 for the Accessibility Integration and Expansion of Magnolia Clubhouse Facilities
$18,000 for Enhancing Sound and Listening Equipment to Improve Public Experience at Dobama Theatre

The bill now goes to the Ohio House for consideration. Learn more about the projects supported by the capital budget here.