Downtown Akron overhead skyline

Akron receives a $5 million federal TIGER grant to finish its downtown promenade.

(Shane Wynn, Akronstock)

AKRON, Ohio -- Akron has won a $5 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant to complete the city's downtown promenade. The city reported its matching contribution will be about 44 percent.

The city will use the money from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build a green corridor on Main Street, with street and sidewalk repairs, new on-street parking and dedicated bike lanes. The city also will add transit and traffic enhancements, a roundabout, new signage and green infrastructure.

What will the improvements do? The city says the multimodal transportation project will bolster the city's stature as an international center of innovation and ensure sustainable economic prosperity.

"I am immensely thankful for the support of our County Executive Russ Pry, our congressional delegation including Rep. Marcia Fudge and Rep. Tim Ryan, and local business leaders who helped champion this effort," Mayor Dan Horrigan said in a statement. "It is truly an honor to be one of the few TIGER grant recipients in the State of Ohio over the past eight years. This grant is transformational for downtown Akron and for our growth strategies."

The city's grant proposal also garnered bi-partisan support from U.S. sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman and U.S. reps. Marcia Fudge, Tim Ryan, Jim Renacci and David Joyce.

TIGER grants are designed to help cities pay for capital improvements for roads, railways and port projects. To be awarded a grant, projects must result in five long-term outcomes: safety, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, quality of life and environmental sustainability.