Bowling Green offering funding to beautify neighborhoods within the city limits

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Winter has set in around Bowling Green, but the city is looking toward the warmer part of 2026 and is offering an opportunity for residents to beautify their communities.

The city commission has allocated $60,000 to its neighborhood grant program, $30,000 of which will be used for the spring program. Neighbors can ask for up to $6,000 to help their communities look the best they can be.

So what could this money be used for in your community landscaping projects?

“Maybe just beautification projects in terms of making an area or common area of the neighborhood that is, used by a majority of neighbors, more appealing to the overall neighborhood. So those tangible projects are definitely things that we want to be able to continue to support,” said Leyda Becker, community engagement manger for the city of Bowling Green.

So far, 14 different applicants have asked for grant money from this program that has now been revamped for this year, expanding who can apply for grant funding for their community.

“We want it to be strategic, but in that in the same sense, we want it to be inclusive. So not all of the petitioners or the neighborhoods have to be, have to have an active homeowner’s association, because we know that not all of the neighborhoods do have that in place, or a legal entity to carry forth the request. So an individual property owner can submit a grant or even a tenant. That is a new thing for this year,” Becker said.

Not everyone is eligible for funding, however, as there is a strict criteria to follow to be awarded that funding. We have to look about, the eligibility criteria.

“We want to make sure that the projects are funded in neighborhoods that are within the city limits of Bowling Green. So that’s often a question that people have. Am I within the city limits of Bowling Green? Not because your address may say Bowling Green does that mean that you’re within the city limits of Bowling Green,” Becker said.

Individuals or legal entities who have already been awarded grant money cannot reapply for more grant money until the next fiscal year.

If you are interested in applying for this grant, you can click here for more information.