South City Good Neighbor Grant

The South City Good Neighbor Grant’s purpose is to help property owners and businesses in the South City Neighborhood make exterior improvements to their properties. Improvements to the existing businesses and important places within the South City community significantly impact the pedestrian experience in a neighborhood largely reliant on public transportation and alternate mobility options. However, the program goals are even loftier than new roofs, facades, or windows. The goal is to restore neighborhood pride and to increase feelings of connectedness to the progress that surrounds the neighborhood.

The South City neighborhood was once a thriving mixed-income community best known for its influential African American culture and history. However, long-term disinvestment, blight, and vacancy, resulted in the neighborhood becoming one of the city’s poorest zip codes. Even with a recent significant investment through the Choice Neighborhood redevelopment of the Foote Homes residential community, much more is still needed to rekindle the kind of community pride that once made the neighborhood vibrant.

Though its geography isn’t wholly inside our district boundaries, South City residents are our neighbors, coworkers, and much of the workforce that fuels the Downtown hospitality, music, and tourism industries. Investment in South City fosters the connectivity and access that we believe is critical when developing an inclusive, affordable Downtown. The grant helps South City property owners and businesses make transformational exterior improvements by covering up to 90% of total project costs. The four community goals of the program are to:

1. Foster new investment
2. Enhance the pedestrian experience
3. Strengthen or restore the character of important places
4. Help new and existing businesses succeed by enhancing curb appeal.