Dozens of nonprofits, meanwhile, applied to Greene County by Thursday’s deadline to seek $1.5 million in funds for those organizations, $500,000 of which will go to Fairborn groups, county Development Director Eric Henry said.
Fairborn Mayor Paul Keller said “we’re hoping to get rolling” spending the money in the first few weeks of July. Keller said projects involving bids may take longer “before you see something actually moving or turning.”
The city has set aside $500,000 for the Fairborn Phoenix project to renovate the 74-year-old theater on South Broad Street.
A meeting with that group will likely occur “soon to discuss this project and how the funds will get distributed,” Anderson said last week in an email.
Fairborn received $6.8 million in ARPA funds, but is keeping $225,000 in reserve, records show.
Bids are planned for the $3.9 million allotted for the former Fire Station #1 renovation ($2 million), stormwater projects ($1 million), the Memorial Park construction ($500,000) and repairs to Community Park’s parking lot ($400,000), Anderson said.
The city wants to complete the Community Park project this year while starting work on the fire station and Memorial Park this fall, he added.
Deadlines for applications for economic development ($500,000) and downtown façade upgrades ($300,000) have not been set, Anderson said. The Fairborn Development Corp. will help administer economic development money, and city staff is developing criteria for facade funds, he added.
Mid-July is the target to complete processing the 62 applications combined for city and county nonprofit funds, Henry said.
A large number of applications came in Wednesday and Thursday, pushing back the timeframe, he added.
“Our goal was to rank these as they came in. But like most programs, people have taken advantage of the entire window,” Henry said.
The county is working with The Greentree Group, a Beavercreek business specializing in ARPA guidelines. It will help vet applicants for both county and Fairborn funds, but the city will choose its recipients, Henry said.
No applicant can seek more than $25,000, he added.
FAIRBORN ARPA FUNDS
The city has earmarked more than a dozen areas in which most of the $6.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds will be spent. The major recipients include:
•Former Fire Station #1 renovation, $2 million
•Stormwater projects, $1 million
•Nonprofits/small businesses, $500,000
•Fairborn Phoenix/theater, $500,000
•Economic development, $500,000
•Memorial Park construction, $500,000
•Community Park parking lot repair, $400,000
•Downtown façade upgrades, $300,000
•Main Street/Central Avenue, $250,000
SOURCE: City of Fairborn
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