Community Revitalization Grant

• Cities, villages, and townships within Hamilton County will be the only entities eligible to apply for grants.
• Based on the Board of County Commissioners' 2021-2022 Policy Agenda, preference will be given to inner-ring suburb communities.
• Applications that involve partnerships with businesses, non-profits, and other entities in good standing will likely result in competitive applications, but the applications must be submitted and lead by cities, villages, or townships within Hamilton County.

The Community Revitalization Grant program is flexible and able to fund a variety of projects. However, projects that score well will likely fall into one of the three broad categories below:

1. Property Development (acquisition, site preparation, demolition, renovation, or new construction)
2. Public Infrastructure Improvements (new construction of roads, sidewalks, and parking lots; utility improvements and extensions; street lighting, streetscaping, roadway, or intersection improvements)
3. Façade and Building Improvements (new signage, new or improved storefronts, tenant improvement build-out)

A link to the application is included below. Entities that are considering applying and have questions should contact Marc Von Allmen at [email protected] or (513) 946-4415. See details on the tentative 2022 schedule below.

Applications will be scored and ranked by Hamilton County staff in partnership with HCDC staff. Staff will review applications and may invite applicants to provide presentations to the review committee if additional clarification is needed. Funding recommendations will be presented to and approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Applicants will be notified whether an award will be made via email or letter from Hamilton County. Funding agreements will then be drafted and approved by the Board of County Commissioners before the project can commence.

Applications will be scored and ranked based primarily on the following factors. Additional factors may be considered.

1. Project Impact
   1. Total number of jobs and amount of payroll created resulting from the project
   2. Total property investment resulting from the project
   3. Amount of blight or nuisance removed resulting from the project
2. Project Need
   1. Projects located in an economically distressed community
   2. Projects that support low- and moderate-income populations
   3. Projects that have constrained budgets due to extreme factors (i.e., encumbered site, high acquisition costs)
3. Project Support
   1. Number of public and private entities actively partnering on the project
   2. Amount of public and private funding committed to the project
   3. Number of public and private entities submitting letter of support for the project
   4. Implementation of specific recommendations included in an adopted local or County plan
4. Applicant Capacity
   1. Complete, detailed, and clear application submitted
   2. Applicant demonstrates financial and organizational capacity to complete the project or has established partners that provide necessary capacity
   3. Applicant has strong past performance in completed projects that were funded or supported by Hamilton County
   4. Project site is controlled and/or properly zoned

• All projects must be located within Hamilton County.
• Projects reporting job, payroll, and property investment commitments should have detailed documentation to the extent possible.
• Applicants should provide documentation for all external funding commitments mentioned within the application.
• Methods for dispersing funds will be finalized in funding agreements. Funds will be distributed on a reimbursement basis.
• Awardees will need to submit various reporting materials to Hamilton County including a final report providing details on project implementation.
• Hamilton County reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of the grant funding annually if there are not enough high-quality applications.