FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — Sharon Tucker announced Monday that 28 neighborhoods across Fort Wayne will receive funding through the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Grant program, supporting projects designed to enhance safety, appearance, and quality of life.

The city awarded more than $119,000 in grants of up to $5,000 each. Projects fall into four main categories: placemaking, transit improvements, landscaping, and neighborhood identification or branding.

Speaking at Woodhurst Neighborhood, Tucker highlighted a project that will create a new concrete connection to the Rivergreenway. The path will be built near the Unitarian Universalist Congregation on Old Mill Road, improving access to the popular trail system.

“I’m appreciative and supportive of the Neighborhood Improvement Grant program. We’re bringing residents together to enhance quality of life offerings and make a positive difference,” said Mayor Tucker. “With strong, engaged, and growing neighborhoods, we’re better equipped to get to where we want to go as a thriving city that’s moving in the right direction.”

In addition to the city funding, Arts United is partnering on three projects by providing matching funds for public art installations. These include painted crosswalks in North Highlands and large-scale murals in the Packard Area Planning Alliance and West Central neighborhoods.

The grants will support a wide range of improvements, including new playground equipment, benches, street trees, historic markers, signage, and landscaping features.

“This is the ninth year of the Neighborhood Improvement Grant program, one of our most popular grant programs at the City,” said Director of Neighborhoods Dan Baisden. “We’re excited to add to it this year by partnering with Arts United to include a few additional awards focused on bringing public art to our neighborhoods. It’s partnerships like this that help us extend our grant resources further and make a bigger impact for our neighborhoods.”