Over the years, the City of Shaker Heights has worked to enhance
neighborhoods by teaming with residents to determine what amenities or improvements
they would like to see, then seeking out grants to achieve those goals.
“We have a long history of working with neighborhoods and applying for grants,”
explains Joyce Braverman, director of planning for the City. “This allows us to do
neighborhood projects that can’t be funded through the City’s capital budget process.”
These grants include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the
Cuyahoga County Department of Development, an annual program that, most recently,
helped fund the City’s just completed Chagrin-Lynnfield intersection improvement
project.
More than a decade ago, the state of Ohio removed the traffic light at this busy
intersection, deeming it “unwarranted.” This resulted in dangerous conditions for
pedestrians and bicyclists, and residents approached the City for help. The Planning
Department applied for a CDBG grant and, in 2020, received a total of $200,000 for the
project (a $150,000 CDBG grant and an additional $50,000 Community Development
Supplemental Grant).
“After we received the grant, we worked with the community on what specific
improvements they wanted for the intersection,” says Braverman.
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Through a series of public meetings,
residents worked with the City on a plan
for the intersection that included a fullfunction
traffic signal, plus other safety
enhancements, like countdown pedestrian
signals and video detection for bicycles
and vehicles.
In 2015, the City completed a similar
neighborhood project at the intersection
of Lomond Boulevard and Lee Road, also
with $150,000 of CDBG funding. “The
street had a very wide sweeping curb
and so the crosswalk was long,” explains
Braverman. “We straightened the curb
and shortened the crosswalk, while also
beautifying that corner with landscaping
and public art.”
The makeover of Gridley Park,
finished in 2011, was
another project completed
with more than $300,000
of CDBG funding. “The
community uses this
park a lot, but at the
time it had fallen into
some disrepair,” says
Braverman. “So we
applied twice for CDBG
funds and twice got
the grant to make the
improvements residents
desired at Gridley.”
The City’s Planning
Department has an
extensive database of
grant opportunities and
applies widely for funding.
There are federal, state and
county grants, as well as
grants from public agencies
and private foundations.
Most recently, the City is
getting ready to apply for a
green infrastructure grant
from the Northeast Ohio
Modernizing
A Historic
City
Going for the Grant:
Neighborhood and City
Improvements Boosted by
Grant Funding
Gridley Park
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