Sharon Hanks
The Grand Rapids Urban Market was selected to
receive a $150,000 grant from the Grand Rapids Community Foundation in its latest
round of funding for 10 organizations that totals $1.5 million.
Proposed by the Grand Action group, the urban market would provide
market space for vendors to sell food and other locally made goods at a
renovated 3.5-acre complex at 435 Ionia Ave. SW. To kick-start the
proposed urban market, the foundation gave the grant to conduct
architectural and engineering work, tax credit planning and syndication,
legal work and project management.
Roberta King, the foundation's vice president of public relations and
marketing, says it's not unusual for the foundation to invest in
predevelopment work, a sometimes "less glamorous thing" but critical
part in launching a new endeavor.
In other awards:
• Kent County was granted $50,000 for its South Division Green
Redevelopment Plan.
• Grand Rapids Community College Foundation received
$375,000 to increase the number of students preparing for health
careers including nursing, through renovations to Cook Academic Hall on
its main campus.
• First Steps was awarded $250,000 to expand its Children's Healthcare Access Program to improve the
health outcomes of low-income children.
• Spectrum Health
Foundation received $75,000 to continue its school-based programming
that empowers youth to choose a tobacco-free lifestyle.
• Community Rebuilders for its Housing Services Center
was awarded $200,000 for its new center to be located at 1120 Monroe
Ave. NW to improve access for people facing a housing crisis.
•The Arts Council of
Greater Grand Rapids received $140,000 for phase two of its "What's Your Art
Grand Rapids?" campaign to further raise awareness of the rich arts
and cultural offerings in Grand Rapids and to help the arts and cultural
organizations increase earned income.
• Dwelling Place
of Grand Rapids was awarded $150,000 for its Wealthy Heights Revitalization Project to
rehabilitate up to five homes and construct six new homes in the Wealthy
Heights residential area (officially part of the East hills
neighborhood).
• The
Fair Housing Center of West Michigan received $55,000 to continue
its work to connect residents with community resources and advocate for
change to stop foreclosures in Kent County.
• The
Salvation Army, serving as the fiduciary for the Grand Rapids Area Coalition to End Homelessness,
was awarded $100,000 to continue efforts to prevent and end systemic
homelessness in Kent County by 2014.
Source: Roberta King, Grand Rapids Community Foundation's vice
president of public relations and marketing, Grand Rapids
Sharon Hanks is innovations and jobs news editor at Rapid Growth
Media. Please send story ideas and comments for the column to Sharon at sharon@rapidgrowthmedia.com.
She also is owner of The Write Words in Grand Rapids.