Kruzan approves residential grant for city

Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan announced the approval of four neighborhood improvement grants June 22 totaling $46,960 and will be used for specific projects in different Bloomington communities. \nThe grants will support the restoration of brick sidewalks in Bryan Park, tree planting in Gentry Estates, a walking trail in Highland Village Park and the installation of historic markers on the city's west side. The selection process for the grants entailed a scoring system in which the Council for Neighborhood Improvement Grants rated each neighborhood's proposal.\n"This year there was a little more competition," said Susie Johnson, director of Housing and Neighborhood Development, which administered the grants. "There were more requests than money."\nThe Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association was also announced as this year's participant in the Bloomington Neighborhood Plan, which works with one neighborhood a year to provide an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the neighborhood. Tom Micuda, director of the planning department, which provides the services outlined in the BNP, said he is looking forward to the new partnership. \n"Prospect Hill is a terrific neighborhood to work with," Micuda said. "They are very organized and ready to take on the neighborhood revitalization process."\nWhile the neighborhood grant process occurs annually in Bloomington, the communications director for Mark Kruzan, Penni Sims, said he is sticking to his "Plan Kruzan" that he touted in his campaign. \n"This is a key part of Plan Kruzan," Sims said. "It shows Mark's commitment to the revitalization and protection of Bloomington neighborhoods."\nIndividual neighborhoods submitted their request forms at the end of last year to participate in the annual Bloomington program. The grant requests were then reviewed by the Council for Neighborhood Improvement Grants, which is made up of Bloomington citizens. The CNIG then visited the sites under consideration and presented the proposals to the general public. The council then made its recommendations to the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission, who made their own recommendations to Mayor Kruzan. After the mayor approved the final funding agreement, the neighborhoods were notified of their plan approvals.\n"Neighborhood Grants are important for the actual neighborhoods, as well as the general public," Micuda said. "The neighborhoods benefit by ensuring a nicer place to live, and the public benefits through increased accessibility to the neighborhoods themselves"