CITY OF ORRVILLE TO RECEIVE GRANT MONEY TO HELP PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2004

Columbus, OH -- State Development Director Bruce Johnson today announced that the City of Orrville in Wayne County will receive a $15,000 grant to plan for downtown development. The grant will be awarded through the Comprehensive Downtown Revitalization Tier One Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Development.

"This grant will help the City of Orrville in planning for future downtown growth,” said Johnson. “Downtown development is a key component to improving the economic vitality of a community.”

The City will use the funds to update its downtown development plan, market analysis and strategy and design review guidelines; and complete a building usage inventory and building and infrastructure conditions survey.

The Comprehensive Downtown Revitalization Tier One Program provides funds to eligible communities to assist with the development of downtown revitalization planning documents. Applications are rated against the following criteria: adequacy and comprehensiveness; evidence that problems will be addressed by the proposed planning document; evidence that the plan will result in the development of a Comprehensive Downtown Revitalization Tier Two Program grant application; degree to which the planning document will result in downtown revitalization; and assurance that the proposed activities are reasonable.