“This grant is the state’s attempt at helping, as the title would suggest, the state’s talent attraction efforts.”
Grand Rapids Economic Development Director Sarah Rainero explains that the Michigan Talent Partnership grant offers $17.4 million in funding to help draw in and retain regional talent. Detroit, Ann Arbor and Lansing are also vying for funds.
“And the reason that we were carved out with the other three cities is because we have highly concentrated census tracks of talent pools that are defined between 25- and 34-years-old.”
If awarded, Grand Rapids would improve transportation in the North Monroe area along Ionia and Division streets. Portions of those streets would also be reimagined and turned into a recreational park, improvements complementing the new Corewell Health headquarters and updates to Canal Park.
Mayor David LaGrand says that while the proposed project would be a good use of those funds, he hopes the city commission would consider matching grant opportunities for other neighborhoods.
“Maybe we retain a Third Ward equity fund, but we also have a Neighborhoods of Focus Fund that runs in parallel to that where we can look at investing in areas that maybe grant writers don’t think are cool but still have our residents living in them and we want to make them cool.”
The grant application deadline is September 25th. No timeline was given on when funding would be awarded.
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