The Van Wert County Foundation, the vision driving force behind Van Wert Forward, is pleased to announce that Van Wert Forward recently received a grant from the JobsOhio Vibrant Community Grant Program. Through a competitive grant application process, Van Wert Forward was awarded $1.5 million to be used in Phase One of the project. Van Wert Forward is one of four entities selected as an award recipient from a pool of 40 applications. To be considered for a Vibrant Communities grant, the entity applying must reside in a community that has a  population ranging from 5,000-75,000 people and is at or above the state’s average poverty rate of 14.6%. Businesses, non-profits, developers, port authorities, and local governments are eligible to apply. 

Van Wert Forward is currently finishing up Phase One’s selective demolition project, and will soon move into construction on its 11 buildings in the Phase. These buildings contain approximately 63,000 sq. ft. of mixed-use space in Van Wert’s historic downtown. 

JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention, and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio.

Van Wert Forward is a multi-phase development project led by The Van Wert County Foundation (VWCF), to preserve and enhance our core downtown assets. With a vibrant, revitalized downtown, we can improve the quality of life for our residents, attract and retain talent, and encourage tourism. For more information contact Van Wert Forward at (419) 238-1743 or email Hall Block at hall@vanwertcountyfoundation.org.