AKRON, Ohio — At Crafty Steere, an artisanal market in Copley, you'll find cuts of beef along with tasty salads, cheese spreads and desserts, including triple-layer brownies.
Many of the recipes come from West Point Market, which closed its Akron-area locations several years ago.
"We're a specialty market, so we try to focus on unique items," said the owner, Brian Steere.
Steere said the business, which opened in 2023, has been growing.
"We added a second location in Tallmadge that opened in July," he said.
In addition, a third Crafty Steere location is in the works.
The owner is moving into a nearly 20-thousand-square-foot space in the O'Neils building along Main Street in Downtown Akron.
The space, next to Barley House, used to be a brewery, but it has been vacant for about 15 years.
Steere plans to transform it into a multi-use business with retail up front, a large restaurant, and room for private events in the back.
"I need to really put a good at least $100,000, $200,000 into this space to make it come alive," Steere said.
With that investment in mind, Steere is excited about a new grant program (Business Development Grant Program) just launched by the Downtown Akron Development Corporation with support from the Knight Foundation.
The grants will partially pay back existing, or businesses that move into the downtown area, for improvements owners make to their spaces.
"It's about project costs that are fixed to the property, so if you need new flooring, HVAC, plumbing— you need a new grease trap, you want to put a hood up for a restaurant," said Chris Hardesty, the executive director of Downtown Akron Development Corporation.
Here's how the grants will work: The Knight Foundation is committing to $300,000 up front for business improvements. It is a 1/3 reimbursement program for projects up to $150,000. For example, if a business spends $150,000 to spruce up its place, it can be paid back $50,000.
"It doesn't have be a big project," said Kyle Kutuchief, program director for the Knight Foundation. "A $3,000 capital improvement to a business, we'll contribute $1,000. That can be really meaningful for a small business in downtown."
Applications opened Oct. 22 and will be taken on a rolling basis.
Hardesy said it's important to invest in Downtown Akron businesses that struggled during the pandemic but stayed in place. In addition, many businesses have dealt with the hassle of construction negatively impacting the number of customers visiting their stores or restaurants.
"We're trying to bring our downtown back to what it was, and by investing in them, we're gonna show everyone else, 'Hey, they're investing into their business downtown, maybe we should probably be in Downtown Akron too,'" Hardesty said.
Steere plans to apply for a grant and said he's looking forward to how it could help his new downtown spot, and other nearby businesses as a whole.
"It's going to be a destination for people, not only that live down here, but families that want to come visit and experience what we have to offer," he said.
Depending on the success of the program, Kutuchief said the Knight Foundation plans to provide funding for the Business Development Grant Program for the next three years.
Businesses interested in learning more about the grant program should call Hardesty at 330-762-4776 or email him at chardesty@builddowntownakron.org.
