Covington, Ludlow Development Projects Awarded Funds – The River City News

Three projects and initiatives in Covington and Ludlow received funding Tuesday from the 2020 Urban Revitalization grant program from Duke Energy.

The utility company awarded $213,500 to eight projects and small business assistance programs across the Cincinnati area.

This is the tenth year of the program which has awarded more than $2.6 million to 83 projects across the region.

Its exciting and gratifying to see how these grants have spurred development and lasting change along dozens of Main Streets across southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky over the past 10 years, said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky. These urban cores are transforming into vibrant and entrepreneurial hubs with beautifully restored buildings, dynamic businesses and a diversity of new jobs.

The Duke Energy grant really uplifts and injects life into our project and inspires hope around what we can bring to the West End community amidst a health and racial pandemic, said Toilynn ONeal Turner, founding director of the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center, which was awarded $100,000 as part of this years Urban Revitalization grants.

The reality is every dollar makes a significant impact, said ONeal Turner. And the initial dollars, for things like our architect and our surveyors and to develop our marketing strategy, these dollars are crucial for us to see the vision of this project coming to life.

Its been a wonderful experience to keep moving forward at a time when many of us are really trying to evaluate and address how were going to move forward collectively.

$10,000 was awarded to the Catalytic Development Fund of Northern Kentucky for 722 Scott Blvd. in Covington, the former site of NorthKey Community Care.

The project will create 11,600 sq. ft. of office space.

The grant funds will assist in architectural and engineering drawings, as well as other pre-development costs required to qualify for historic tax credits.

The Catalytic Fund was also awarded $15,000 for 471 Elm St. in Ludlow where North South Baking Co. is set to expand. Owner Kate Standfest owns and operates the business and is working with the Catalytic Fund to transform the property into a commercial baking kitchen to serve wholesale customers, and to offer on-site retail.

The grant will go towards architectural design and engineering services for the 3,000-sq. ft. building which was originally home to an automobile service and filling station.

The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington was awarded $11,000 in support of culinary businesses and a commercial bakery retail space.

The funding will allow the organization to offer virtual support to local chefs, many of whom completed its chef fellowship program, launched in 2016 to support local residents passionate about food, but lacking money and connections to bring their visions to fruition.

It will also allow for pre-development work on a shared retail and commercial bakery space on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

-Staff report

Image via Kenton Co. PVA

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Covington, Ludlow Development Projects Awarded Funds - The River City News