Program supports creative, place-based projects

COVINGTON, Ky. – You know those beautiful new benches that resemble open books? They instill a sense of place. The towering and sweeping murals adorning the side of Covington buildings? They’re becoming part of our local identity. And that bench that provides shelter beneath the magic of sunshine on stained glass? It’s functional art with lasting significance.

Such is the intended impact of the City of Covington’s Quality of Place Grants, 12 of which were awarded in February to support the realization of each of those projects and more.

The program’s goal is to provide flexible funding, through a simple application process, to recipients who have ideas on how to creatively enhance the physical appearance of Covington’s business districts and nodes, while building on a sense of place.

Recipients can be Covington businesses, groups of businesses, business organizations, residents or resident-led neighborhood/community groups (either formal or informal). Projects can be new works of public art, public gathering spaces, interactive displays, and more.

Given the quality of the first-year awardees, the City plans to do it again: Beginning today, the City will begin accepting Quality of Place Grant applications to help fund more impactful projects. The deadline for applications is Sept. 18.

“Last year we had a great response to this grant and we were able to fund some amazing projects,” said Kyle Snyder, the City’s Infrastructure Development Specialist who manages the program. “Many of them are very prominent in the communities, and I’m excited to see the creativity that this year’s grant funds will help bring to life.”

The grant program supports projects that align with the Economic Development Department’s strategic focus on “Experiencing Covington” and embraces its “manifesto,” which states that The Cov is on “the bold side of the river … where past meets progress … and y’all really means all.”

Grants can be made for amounts from $1,000 to $30,000. Applications for leveraged projects should demonstrate any leveraged benefit, whether it’s through financial contributions, in-kind donations, or volunteer hours. Leveraged projects will rank higher for selection as do projects that are three-dimensional, provide a functional public benefit, and are interactive, such as benches, lighting, or bike racks.

“We love murals – and this new group could have a few – but we’d like to see more projects that are functional, interactive, or have other public benefit,” said Snyder. “It doesn’t have to be art, it just needs to make Covington an even better place to live, work, and play.”

The application and guidelines can be found at Quality of Place.

How the process works:

Step One: Develop an idea that enhances the physical appearance of a business district or node and develops a “sense of place” through improvements, public art, public gathering places, etc. Support from adjacent property owners will make your application more competitive.

Keep in mind that:

• Projects must enhance the quality of place in the business node or neighborhood through visible physical improvements or activate a neglected or underused space.
• Projects must have a City-wide benefit or a general benefit to the area, such as improved safety, enhanced cultural expression, or added recreational opportunity.
• Physical improvements or art may be permanent or temporary.
• Projects must be executed before the deadline or funds will be returned to the City unless an extension has been granted.

Step Two: Talk with project manager Kyle Snyder or Assistant Economic Development Director Sarah Allan about your idea/proposal so it can be vetted and any concerns addressed.

Step Three: Submit the application by the Sept.18 deadline.

Step Four: A committee of City staff will evaluate submissions based on scoring criteria recommend proposal(s) to the Covington Board of Commissioners for approval.

Step Five: City staff will work with the winning applicant(s) to coordinate the necessary items, including execution of a grant agreement, to access the funding as quickly as possible.

The City prioritizes spreading out funding across as many business nodes and districts as possible, so it helps to collaborate and consolidate applications.

Have questions? Contact Snyder at kyle.snyder@covingtonky.gov.

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