Big Grant News From Ohio’s Heart!
On Monday, March 20th, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted announced the first-round recipients of the Appalachian Community Grant Program, which included the Coshocton Collaborative. The Coshocton Port Authority partnered with other Appalachian communities and entities to form the “At Work in Appalachia” initiative. This initiative is composed of public and private agencies across Appalachian Ohio to establish coordinated, interconnected remote work and entrepreneur hubs, and locally-designed health and workforce development programming through a series of public and private partnerships.
These funds will help complete several capital projects within four Appalachian communities in Ohio. The Athens Armory in Athens, The Logan Theater in Logan, The Space at the Hocking Hills Chamber of Commerce, The Somerset Builder’s Club in Somerset, and the Coshocton Collaborative in Coshocton. These projects are “lynchpin” projects, which will breathe vibrancy into the downtown districts, and will serve as catalysts for further improvements and development.
“The Coshocton Collaborative will provide essential resources to our entrepreneurs at all stages and a one-stop shop for economic development.” Tiffany Swigert, Executive Director of the Coshocton Port Authority states that “This partnership will propel our region’s entrepreneurial activity and support existing business expansion while attracting individuals to new opportunities through a regional network.”
In total, the “At Work in Appalachia” initiative was awarded $17,674,641 from the Ohio Department of Development and the Governor’s Office of Appalachia through the Appalachian Community Grant Program, which dedicated $500 million into Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region through House Bill 377 to revitalize communities and stimulate transformational change through specific projects that focus on infrastructure development, physical and behavioral health, and workforce development.
For more information on the Coshocton Collaborative project, head to the website here.
