Richfield Town Trust offers historic district grants

The Richfield Town Trust will award a grant of up to $5,000 in 2027 to a business or residential property located in the Richfield Historic District. The money comes from proceeds raised and invested by the Chamber of Commerce Sweet Corn Bike Ride. A map of the Richfield Village commercial historic districts is available at richfieldvillageohio.org/DocumentCenter/View/78/Historic-District-Zoning-Map.

Property owners can apply for funding to repair an existing building or construct a new building.

The Town Trust awarded two grants to this building on Broadview Road that is currently a residence. Photo by S. Serdinak.

The grant will be awarded on a point system and must be matched by the property owner. The grant can cover up to half of any project.

Grant applications are available at the front office of the ScripType Building, 4300 W. Streetsboro Road, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Applications must be submitted by Dec. 30.

On the first day during COVID when restaurants were required to shut down, Olesia Polychok was opening her newly remodeled restaurant, the Olessia’s Taverne of Richfield. The Town Trust awarded the building a $10,000 grant. The Town Trust also awarded grants to two earlier owners of this iconic building.

The mission of the Town Trust is to improve, enhance and preserve the Richfield Historic District by coordinating the efforts of private individuals, local government and businesses. The organization has awarded more than $300,000 in grants to owners of properties in the historic district.

Photo caption: The Richfield Town Trust has provided 46 grants since 2006, totaling about $323,000. The first grant was for $20,000 to the Lee Marie Salon. The building had been a run-down home and workshop and the owners had died.