Write a commentThe Oswego Renaissance Association (ORA) has awarded matching grants to over 120 homes in the City of Oswego for neighborhood revitalization.
Renaissance Block Challenge Grants for exterior upgrades and beautification were awarded to 13 neighborhood blocks throughout the City of Oswego. The awards total $104,000, and are estimated to yield a minimum of a $208,000, up to a maximum of approximately $400,000 in combined matching funds and homeowner investments. These estimates are based upon the outcome of this program in other cities, according to ORA Director Paul Stewart.
The Renaissance Block Challenge Grants were awarded to Oswego neighborhoods where 5, or more, homes on the same blocks agreed to participate and apply for the grants, forming a coordinated group of neighbors who will work with the ORA to revitalize their neighborhoods over the next several years.
Tanya Miller, who resides on West 4th Street, applied for a grant. She said she is excited about the potential for her block and began a significant new landscaping project, regardless of the funding decision for her block.
"The positive response and commitment shown by my neighborhood to our Block Challenge gave me the confidence to go ahead with my curb garden," Miller said. "Getting to know my neighbors better and working together to improve our neighborhood and our city has inspired me to make a much greater investment in terms of time and money into my home."
In addition to the physical investment in the targeted neighborhoods, each awarded neighborhood is also planning social activities to strengthen the neighborhood as a whole. For the first time in several decades, this summer and fall, many neighborhoods will be bringing back block parties and other social events.
"My neighbors are excited about getting started on a phone tree to keep each other informed," Karen Doten, who resides on West 8th Street, said. "We are talking about getting together for a block party this summer."
The Renaissance Block Challenge Grants are a starting point in the ORA’s revitalization plan for the City of Oswego neighborhoods.
"The ORA seeks future partnerships with Oswego neighborhood residents; through additional Neighborhood Pride Grants, the Paint Oswego program, and other programs -- in the coming years," Stewart said. "In all cases, the ORA seeks to match neighborhood residents' commitment and drive for the long-term revitalization of their neighborhoods in the City of Oswego."
Stewart said the Renaissance Block Challenge Grants will also be available next year. The ORA is funded by the Shineman Foundation, Pathfinder Bank and Novelis Oswego.
For additional information visit the Oswego Renaissance Association’s website; www.Oswegonyonline.com or The Oswego Renaissance Association on Facebook.
