New archways at PlayhouseSquare

New signs, including archways like the one pictured here, have popped up in downtown Cleveland's Playhouse Square district during the past few weeks. As the theater district finishes a $16 million transformation of its public spaces, the Charter One Foundation and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance are running a grant contest to revive empty storefronts on East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue.

(Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Small businesses seeking space in downtown Cleveland's theater district will have a shot at $1,500 to $20,000 in grant funding through a program that has helped fill other empty storefronts in the city.

The Charter One Foundation and the Downtown Cleveland Alliance announced Monday that they've teamed up with Playhouse Square to launch a grant competition that ends May 16. The money, $20,000 in all, could help a handful of businesses or a single entrepreneur cover start-up costs such as rent, equipment and fixtures.

Playhouse Square is targeting the Hanna Building, the Hanna Building Annex and the Keith Building -- two office buildings and a residential redevelopment where the upper floors are largely full but some street-level retail spaces sit vacant. The empty storefronts, on Euclid Avenue and East 14th Street, range from 420 square feet to 3,257 square feet.

"We think this is an important opportunity to grow retail amenities that will serve the existing Playhouse Square residential population," said Michael Deemer, vice president of business development for the downtown alliance, a nonprofit group that represents property owners. "More importantly, it will help create a retail amenity base that will allow us to continue the residential momentum ... to help us achieve our goal of growing the residential population downtown to 20,000 to 25,000 people."

Downtown is home to approximately 12,000 people.

Part of the charitable arm of RBS Citizens Financial Group Inc., the Charter One Foundation focuses on affordable housing, services and economic development. Since 2010, the foundation has contributed to similar grant contests in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood and the Gordon Square Arts District.

Last year, the foundation and the downtown alliance, a nonprofit group that represents property owners, backed a competition that highlighted the 5th Street Arcades -- a tired set of shopping corridors that, now, have been spruced up and repopulated. Grant winners at the arcades included an expanding sushi restaurant, a gift shop and a coffee shop offering hand-poured brews by the cup.

The theater district contest is starting just as Playhouse Square wraps up a $16 million transformation of its public spaces. That project includes theater signs, lighting, a revamped Star Plaza, other decorative signs and a giant chandelier, set to be unveiled on May 2.

"This partnership with [the alliance] and Playhouse Square will support small businesses and the growth of retail services for downtown residents and employees," Joe DiRocco, president of Charter One and RBS Citizens in Ohio, said in a news release.

The grant application is available on the alliance's website. Applicants also must submit a short essay and a business plan. Finalists will be notified by June 6 and will move on to negotiate lease terms with PlayhouseSquare Real Estate Services.