East Side lands $10M grant to transform vacant lots

Driving the news: The grant, awarded to Western Reserve Land Conservancy in partnership with the city, will convert 600 publicly owned parcels into a network of low-maintenance naturalized landscapes, pocket parks, gathering spaces and urban agriculture sites.

• The project is part of the Fund's Greening America's Cities Initiative, which supports urban green space projects nationwide.
• Eight cities received $100 million in the current batch of funding.

What they're saying: "For too long, the environmental conditions in our neighborhoods have been treated as optional, when in fact they are part of our essential civic infrastructure," Western Reserve Land Conservancy's Isaac Robb said in a statement.

• "Parks obviously matter, but so does the vacant lot down the street and the tree outside your front door."

The big picture: The grant builds on a broader push to reinvest in Cleveland's East Side, following the recent marquee announcement of the Midline redevelopment corridor.

What's next: The Western Reserve Land Conservancy and the city will begin restoring the vacant parcels block by block, with a kickoff event likely this fall.