![Cleveland officials expect to receive $511.7 million over in federal coronavirus aid over two years from the American Rescue Plan. [Tim Harrison / ideastream]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9bc2ac0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/980x551+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F5%2F13%2FCleveland_3.jpg)
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson on Thursday outlined his administration鈥檚 鈥済eneral approach鈥� for spending hundreds of millions of dollars in new federal coronavirus aid.
Ideas include stabilizing the city budget, helping businesses, supporting neighborhood development efforts and expanding internet access. Jackson did not attach dollar figures to those ideas , saying the city was looking for private investment to help with pandemic recovery, too.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a continued revenue stream,鈥� Jackson said, 鈥渟o with that in mind, what we are attempting to do is to develop a strategy as to how to use this money to better ensure Cleveland鈥檚 success and position us for the future.鈥�
The city receives the first half of its $511.7 million this year. It will be up to Cleveland鈥檚 next mayor to spend the second half of the funds, which are slated to arrive in 2022.
A 鈥渓arge sum of money鈥� from that aid 鈥� probably tens of millions 鈥� could go toward shoring up Cleveland鈥檚 budget, Jackson said. The city could need to cover not just pandemic costs and lost revenue, but also a .
The money also could help the city expand development strategies to so-called 鈥渕iddle neighborhoods鈥� that exist between the hardest-hit communities and hot real estate markets, Jackson said.
City officials on Thursday outlined the planned approach to neighborhood development, which includes financing assistance, demolition, rehabilitation and new housing construction.
Jackson said his administration would share a more detailed proposal when seeking city council鈥檚 approval to spend the money.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not at that detail,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have some notions, but it is not fully vetted out, because there鈥檚 still a lot of work to be done.鈥�
A collection of advocacy groups has urged the city to allow public input on stimulus spending through 鈥減articipatory budgeting,鈥� but officials did not address that idea Thursday.
Cleveland will receive more in federal aid than other Ohio cities. Columbus and Cincinnati will see $279.5 million and $187 million, respectively.
In all, the $1.9 trillion federal spending package includes $350 million for state, local, territorial and tribal governments.
