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County approves $300,000 grant and $450,000 loan for Africatown Plaza redevelopment
Summary
Cuyahoga County Council adopted a resolution to award up to $300,000 in ARPA community grant funds to JSAC LLC for the Africatown Plaza Art and Cultural Center at 7515 Cedar Ave., Cleveland, and the county will pair the grant with a $450,000 economic development loan to leverage a multimillion-dollar redevelopment.
Cuyahoga County Council voted March 25 to fund a redevelopment project on East 75th and Cedar Avenue in Cleveland, approving a $300,000 community development grant to JSAC LLC and directing a $450,000 economic development loan to leverage a larger private investment.
A sponsor described the Africatown Plaza Art and Cultural Center as a multimillion-dollar conversion of the former YMCA building at 7515 Cedar Ave. that will include housing, cultural space and community access. The sponsor said the project will include apprenticeship and mentoring opportunities intended to develop local capacity in real-estate and construction trades, calling the initiative “transformative” for the neighborhood.
According to the sponsor, the county’s $300,000 grant is intended to fill financing gaps and be paired with a $450,000 loan from the county’s economic development arm; together those investments are intended to leverage private dollars for preservation, housing and cultural programming. The resolution passed by voice vote.
Council expressed support for adding co-sponsors to the measure and for the project’s expected community benefits. No amendment or alternate funding sources were recorded on the floor during the adoption.
