What would improve Dayton, city asks with $138M on the way

The city also is promoting an online survey that asks visitors to identify some of their top priorities.

Dayton has outlined a framework for how it would like to spend this federal allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act, which is the largest grant in the city’s history.

City officials and elected leaders said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make investments that will benefit Daytonians for many years to come.

“The worst thing we could do is have a couple of years of funding and 10 years from now not be still benefitting from the investments made from this funding,” said Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein.

Dickstein said the city hopes to leverage its grant money with funding from other sources and partners to maximize its impact.

The city says the one-time money will help cover some of the costs incurred during the coronavirus crisis, but it also wants to make long-term investments.

The framework’s focus areas include neighborhoods, amenities, major catalytic projects, community recovery, city projects and external awards.

The city wants to help promote racial equity, inclusion and justice, Dickstein said, as well as improve quality of life, particularly in disenfranchised and disadvantaged areas.

Meeting dates

Dayton is hosting a series of community meetings to get input about how it should spend its nearly $138 million in federal rescue funds