The Greensboro City Council began discussing how it would spend $59.4 million in American Rescue Plan money in April 2021 and that discussion is ongoing.

In April 2021, when the City Council began the discussion, there appeared to be support for spending the federal largess on a “transformational project.”

At that meeting several councilmembers said that they would prefer to fund a major project and not spend the money in dribs and drabs.

However, from the Thursday, Aug. 11 work session presentation, it appears the plans have shifted and much of the $59.4 million will be allocated to nonprofits and spent on city maintenance projects like replacing roofs, which no one would consider transformational.

The presentation lists 16 proposed allocations to nonprofits and four proposed city maintenance projects.

The proposed allocations to nonprofits are: $1.5 million for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro Inc.; $800,000 for Community Housing Solutions of Guilford County; $1 million for Greensboro Innovation District; $56,000 for Sanctuary House; $460,000 for Reading Connections Inc.; $1 million for YMCA of Greensboro; $50,000 for The Black Suit Initiative; $53,000 for Level Up Parenting; $73,000 for W.D. Mohammed Islamic Center; $139,000 for Guilford Child Development; $50,000 for I Am A Queen; $133,000 for Positive Direction for Youth & Families Inc.; $100,000 for Interactive Resource Center; $150,000 for Launch Greensboro/Greensboro Chamber of Commerce; $165,000 for Gerard’s Green Garden;  and $25,000 for Glenwood Together/In Faith.

The proposed city facility maintenance projects are: $1.2 million for a new roof for the Central Library; $375,000 for a new heating and air conditioning system for the Central Library; $3.5 million for a new roof and maintenance repairs for the Greensboro Cultural Center; and $1.1 million for Parks and Recreation for improvements to aquatic centers.

The ARP money has to be allocated by December 2024 and what is not spent by December 2026 has to be returned to the federal government.