The 2023 Public Gathering Spaces Initiative (PGSI) will fund improvements intended to increase usability, accessibility, and seasonality within new or existing community spaces on publicly owned property. By supporting the creation or expansion of public gathering spaces in low-and-moderate income (LMI) communities throughout Michigan, PGSI will create and enhance recreational places that will allow residents to gather, relax, celebrate, and commemorate. PGSI funds projects including, but not limited to, parks, town squares, playgrounds, amphitheaters, and farmer's markets.
Through a competitive application round, the 2023 Public Gathering Spaces Initiative will award Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to eligible Units of General Local Government (UGLG) between $750,000 and $2,000,000. Eligible UGLGs will be required to provide a minimum of a 10% financial match based on the project’s total cost.
Application Information
The 2023 PGSI Application is now available. All applications must be submitted NO LATER THAN April 28, 2023 at 5:00 p.m., EST. To access the application, please click on the button below. This will download the application to your computer. Once you have the application complete please email it along with all required attachements (in one PDF if possible) to: publicgatheringspaces@michigan.org.
An informational webinar was held March 1, 2023, providing attendees with a high-level overview of the program followed by a questions-and-answers session. You can view the presentation slides or watch the recording below.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants for the Community Development Block Grant Public Gathering Spaces Initiative will include non-entitlement small cities, townships, and villages with a population of less than 50,000 that are listed on the CDBG Low/Mod Income Community Customers and Project Areas list. Eligible Applicants need to meet the Low-And-Moderate Income Area Benefit national objective, meaning that projects must demonstrate that the project benefits all residents within the LMI community. This benefit is also known as LMI Area Benefit (LMA) Projects. For more information regarding LMI Area Benefit Projects, please reference the Community Development Block Grant Funding Guide.
Questions?
Please email publicgatheringspaces@michigan.org for support. Answers to questions received will be posted publicly on a weekly basis on this webpage.
Permanent infrastructure required for the successful creation and/or operation of a public gathering space such as utility infrastructure, playground equipment, public restrooms, drinking fountains, sidewalks, etc.
Permanent amenities including, but not limited to, outdoor speaker systems, exterior heating systems, lighting, affixed tables, benches, pavilions, public art, etc.
Universal Accessibility design elements that enable public spaces to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and create welcoming public spaces for residents of all abilities, such as, accessible playground equipment, modified restrooms, etc. For more information, please refer to Appendix C: Universal Design.
Other permanent infrastructure or amenities, deemed eligible by HUD, necessary to support the accessibility and seasonality of a public gathering space
Required Materials for Application Submission:
Completed PGSI Application
Before Photos of the Proposed Site (minimum of three)
Site Plan
Project Location Map (Aerial map or Google map showing project location & boundaries)
Project Rendering
Detailed Project Budget
Third-Party Cost Estimate (Davis Bacon will apply to the entire project.) See the “Program Requirements and Compliance” section of the CDBG Funding Guide for more information.)
Project Maintenance Plan
Marketing/Promotions Plan
Authorizing Resolution
Public Participation Form
Public Hearing Notice – Published
Public Hearing Minutes or Summary of Meeting
Certification by the UGLG Applicant Form
Statement of Assurances Form
Anti-Displacement and Relocation Plan
Optional Attachment: Design Review from an organization representing people with disabilities (needed for Universal Design points).
Optional Attachment: Opinion of a licensed professional engineer (P.E.) that plans to meet Green Infrastructure criteria.
Optional Attachment: Excerpts from local plan identifying the project as a priority.
Applications will be evaluated and scored on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the criteria below. For more information on scoring, please review Appendix D: Scoring.
Recent MEDC CDBG Grant Awards & Low-and-Moderate Income (LMI) Communities: In an effort to disperse funds widely across the state to LMI Communities, MEDC is looking to prioritize applications from UGLGs that do not currently have an open CDBG project with the organization (including projects under a Letter of Intent); however, having an open CDBG grant project with MEDC does not automatically disqualify UGLGs seeking financial support. *Please note that communities awarded a PGSI grant in 2022 will be ineligible for this funding round.
LMI Population: UGLGs with a higher percentage of LMI residents will receive preference.
Fit with community vision/priority/strategy: Competitive applicants will describe the location of the project, highlight the purpose and need of the proposed improvement and/or creation of the public gathering space, articulate who will benefit from the project, provide a detailed scope of the project, and articulate how the project aligns with the UGLG’s master plan (or other locally approved document).
Fit with initiative priorities: MEDC is looking to prioritize Public Gathering Spaces projects that address the seasonality and accessibility of new or existing public spaces across Michigan communities. Competitive applicants will identify how the scope of their project meets both objectives by provided specific and detailed examples.
Community Benefit: Competitive applicants will be able to articulate how the creation and/or expansion of the Public Gathering Space benefits all residents by providing project specific examples.
Project Location: Consideration will be given to the location of the public gathering space within the community, with additional scoring points provided to projects located within a downtown area or high impact corridor/gateway.
Project Sustainability: Projects will gain additional scoring points for the incorporation of green infrastructure elements.
Partnership and Resource Leveraging: Competitive applicants will articulate how they have leveraged outside funding sources to enable the project to come to fruition.
What is the anticipated timeline for the Public Gathering Spaces Initiative?
What are the Compliance and Reporting Requirements?
An Applicant agrees to adhere to HUD, CDBG and MEDC rules, regulations, and the Grant Administration Manual (GAM) policies, procedures and reporting requirements including Davis Bacon wages. In agreeing to this, the entity will ensure that all entities involved in completing the proposed project will also adhere to rules and regulations during grant administration. If an application is approved for funding, PGSI funding round — grantees must verify that they are willing to comply with all additional MEDC requirements, including but not limited to, marketing, promotions and reporting. A background check will be conducted on the applicant and staff managing the grant for the applicant. Additional terms and conditions related to these requirements will be defined in the final grant agreement.
