JOHNSON ANNOUNCES $10,000 FOR CITY OF MEDINA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2006

Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Bruce Johnson today announced that the City of Medina, in Medina County, will receive a $10,000 grant to update the design review guidelines for the city's historic central business district.

“We are pleased to assist the City of Medina as they plan improvements to benefit economic development in their business district,” said Johnson, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. “Helping Ohio’s communities maintain strong central business districts is just one way we are working to make sure ‘Ohio Means Business’.”

The grant will be awarded through the Comprehensive Downtown Revitalization Tier One Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Development. The updated design review guidelines will include approximately 70 photographs and 10 architectural drawings of features or designs typically found in the downtown district. According to Johnson, such guidelines help communities plan the development of their central business districts, helping to revitalize downtowns and create good jobs.

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.