Five Cleveland-area cities recently secured a $100,000 Ohio Local Government Innovation Fund (LGIF) grant to study the feasibility of merging their economic development districts, The Plain Dealer reports. Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Shaker Heights, South Euclid and University Heights, as well as the University Circle Inc. economic development organization, the Heights-Hillcrest Regional Chamber of Commerce and Sourcing Office, a nonprofit consultant, will pay a combined $85,000 match on the grant. Consolidating the economic development districts and "leveraging University Circle as a professional hub will improve efficiency and reduce costs." The application states that the project "would cost $1.7 million and gain $1.3 million from new revenue and savings by 2016 – a 73 percent return on investment," the article said. For more, read the full story.
Five Northeast Ohio cities receive a $100,000 grant to determine the feasibility of merging their economic development districts
