LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Renovations and beautification are on the menu for eight Michigan communities who received a total of $200,000 in grants for their downtown improvement projects from the state of Michigan.
The Main Street Vibrancy Grant Program is intended to provide grants of $25,000 to Michigan Main Street communities for projects that enhance the vibrancy and economic vitality of Michigan Main Street downtowns and create a “sense of place.”
MORE NEWS: Islamization of Dearborn Now a Nationwide Debate
On Thursday, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the cities that would be benefitting from the money.
The following communities will be getting funds from the state for the listed projects:
Adrian: Downtown mural project with two distinct community representative murals to jumpstart a district wide mural project.
Blissfield: Transforming a vacant lot into an outdoor dining and cultural space with outdoor lighting, movable outdoor furniture, and a mural, in addition to adding two parklets to the downtown to enhance the social district.
Downtown Lansing: Artery Alley lighting and permanent power accommodations, which is part of a larger project to transform the alley through public art, resurfacing, and historic and arts-based walking tours.
Evart: Renovation of building for downtown incubator space.
MORE NEWS: Wrong Lesson Plan: Detroit Teacher Caught in $60 Toledo Sting
Grayling: Event set-up kit including folding folding picnic tables, pop-up canopies, folding tables and chairs, patio umbrellas, and barricades.
Howell: Wayfinding sign replacement project including sign design, fabrication, installation and maintenance.
North End Detroit: Light Up Main Street Holiday Event including district promotion, pop-up tent space to feature local businesses, seasonal entertainment, and holiday light display.
Rogers City: Rogers City inspired mural, and installation of benches, bike racks and repair stations.
Gov. Whitmer said about the grants, “Thriving, attractive downtowns are crucial to attracting talent, workers, and small businesses so we can grow our economy. Today’s investments in main streets across Michigan will improve quality of life, drive economic growth, and support good-paying jobs. Let’s keep working together to lower the cost of housing, invest in community spaces, and make our cities and towns better places to live, work, invest, and play.”
Michelle Parkkonen, managing director of technical assistance programs at the MEDC added, “These communities have all worked diligently to enhance the sense of place and vibrancy in their downtowns, engage residents and businesses, and drive economic growth.”
Grayling Main Street Executive Director Jillian Tremonti said about the grant, “Organizing vibrancy-building activities in downtown Grayling, like our twice-weekly farmers market as well as large scale events like AuSable River Festival, demands a lot of equipment that just felt out of reach for us. The equipment we’ll be purchasing with the Vibrancy Grant dollars have been on our wish list for quite some time! It will help us streamline the execution of our vibrancy activities so we can focus staff & volunteer efforts more efficiently, allowing more time to actually build community with one another. It also sets up a handful of our future projects with useful tools, and will reduce those project costs in the long run.”
