CITIES OF ROSSFORD AND WILLARD TO RECEIVE $22,500 TO PLAN FOR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2006

Columbus, OH -- Lieutenant Governor Bruce Johnson today announced that the cities of Rossford and Willard will receive grants totaling $22,500 to plan for downtown redevelopment. The grants will be awarded through the Comprehensive Downtown Revitalization Tier One Program, administered by the Ohio Department of Development.

“We are pleased to assist Rossford and Willard as they plan to make improvements to their downtown areas to assist in the promotion of businesses and jobs,” said Johnson, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. “Ohio means business, and to that end we are committed to working with communities and companies to attract and retain good-paying jobs.”

The City of Rossford, in Wood County, will receive a $15,000 grant to develop a downtown market analysis, marketing strategy, development plan and design review criteria.

The City of Willard, in Huron County, will receive a $7,500 grant to develop a downtown development plan, marketing study, consumer and merchant surveys, marketing strategy and an operations plan/strategic plan for downtown sustainability.

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.