Throughout the year, the Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS may accept Placemaking Grant applications from municipalities and non-profits in Cuyahoga County, Portage County, or Summit County.
What is a Placemaking Grant?
The Placemaking Grant is available to state and local REALTOR® Associations to help fund Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper placemaking projects in their communities. These projects can be built in under 1 year.
Lighter Quicker Cheaper projects help to:
- Create community gathering places
- Attract residents and visitors
- Bring life to downtowns
- Support walkable communities
- Preserve open and green spaces
Funding Level:
The Placemaking Grant has 2 levels available for 2022.
Level 1 Grant Criteria & Requirements
The Level 1 Placemaking grant funds demonstration and temporary projects to provide an opportunity to test the viability of permanent projects that increase community livability and downtown revitalization.
- Amount: up to $1,500 depending on the engagement of REALTOR® Association, and its members, project impact on community, and meeting of all project criteria listed below.
- Required Attachments: Before photo of the site, project design plan, project budget and after photo of the completed project
- Project Criteria: The Placemaking Grant can only be used to fund projects that meet the following criteria:
- Project Budget: The grant focuses on “lighter, cheaper, quicker” placemaking projects, which can be built under a year and cost less than $25,000.
- Types of Projects Funded: Temporary parklets, pop-up parks, pedestrian plazas, bike lanes.
- Association and Member Engagement: Placemaking projects offer an opportunity for REALTOR® Associations and REALTORS® to engage in community outreach and set the stage for advocacy efforts. An association, and its members, need to be involved in the planning, designing, funding, and/or building of the project.
- Association-led & managed projects – required to be approved for the maximum amount
- Association engagement: fundraising and/or donations, planning, organizing, Realtor Action Day project, serves on project committee/task force, etc.
- Realtor engagement: site clean-up, planning, coordinating, serves on project committee/task force, the building of the project, etc.
Usage of Grant Funds
- Funds can be used for amenities (street furniture, paint, signage, materials, landscaping, murals, etc.), site preparation, artist fees
- Funds can’t be used on marketing, food, plaque, opening day activities
Level 2 Grant Criteria & Requirements
The Level 2 Placemaking grant funds the creation of new public spaces and destinations in a community accessible to everyone and open at all, or most, times. It does not fund adding amenities to existing public spaces or enhancing them. Review the types of projects the grant does not fund before submitting your application.
- Amount: up to $5,000 depending on the engagement of REALTOR® Association, and its members, impact on community and meeting of all project criteria listed below.
- Required Attachments: Before photo of the site, project design plan, project budget, and after photo of the completed project
- Project Criteria: The Placemaking Grant can only be used to fund projects that meet the following criteria. The maximum grant amount is awarded depending on how much the project adheres to the grant criteria.
- Types of Projects Funded: new parks, pocket parks, plazas, parklets, alley activations, trails, dog parks, play/fitness areas, community gardens.
- Project Budget: The level 2 grant focuses on “lighter, cheaper, quicker” placemaking projects, which can be built in under a year and cost less than $200,000.
- Association and Member Engagement
Placemaking projects offer an opportunity for REALTOR® Associations and REALTORS® to engage in community outreach and set the stage for advocacy efforts. An association, and its members, need to be involved in the planning, designing, funding, and/or building of the project.
- The maximum grant amount is awarded to reflect projects that are association-led or projects where the REALTOR® Association is a main partner
- Association engagement: fundraising and/or donations, planning, organizing, Realtor Action Day project, serves on project committee/task force, etc.
- Realtor engagement: site clean-up, planning, coordinating, serves on project committee/task force, the building of the project, etc.
- Multi-Functional & Community-Orientated
- Benefits everyone in the community (not for targeted groups)
- Includes several amenities (seating, kiosks, landscaping, artwork, etc.) that everyone can enjoy
- Compliant with city permitting and zoning
- Open and accessible all or most of the time (not inside buildings, not behind locked doors/gates)
Usage of Grant Funds
- Funds can be used for amenities (street furniture, paint, signage, materials, landscaping, murals, etc.), site preparation, artist fees
- Funds cannot be used on marketing, food, opening day activities
Any questions? Contact ACAR’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Jamie McMillen, at 216-901-0130.
Submit a Grant Application. Complete applications are due March 31, 2022. Work must be completed in the current calendar year.
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