St. Paul, Minn. — (May 9, 2014) — The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced the Knight Green Line Challenge, seeking projects to make St. Paul neighborhoods along the new Green Line more vibrant places to live, work, play and visit. The challenge is part of a three-year, $1.5 million commitment from Knight Foundation to further advance community development in St. Paul’s Central Corridor.

The challenge will launch in conjunction with the opening of the Green Line in June 2014, with applications being accepted from June 24 to July 24, 2014. The Saint Paul Foundation will administer the challenge.

Any individual, business or nonprofit can apply. The only requirement is that the project must take place in and benefit at least one of six St. Paul neighborhoods along the Green Line: Downtown St. Paul, Frogtown/Thomas-Dale, Hamline Midway, St. Anthony Park, Summit-University or Union Park.

The Knight Green Line Challenge was announced last night at the Great River Gathering, an annual celebration that brings together a diverse group of civic leaders and community members who share a commitment to St. Paul. Knight Foundation Vice President of Community and National Initiatives Carol Coletta introduced the challenge.

“The new Green Line brings with it the potential to better connect people, places and ideas,” said Coletta. “We want to build on that energy and the work already underway in the Central Corridor by supporting projects rooted in the community, primed to contribute to its success.”

“We are looking for a broad set of ideas,” said Polly Talen, Knight Foundation program director for St. Paul. “Proposed projects may spur economic activity in one of the commercial districts or bring people together in unique spaces; others may make the area more walkable or bikeable, attract new interest to a neighborhood or spark innovation along the Green Line in unexpected ways.”

Knight is working with community outreach partners to encourage a diversity of challenge applicants.

“From the beginning, the Knight Foundation, through its leadership on the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, has helped us listen to the community’s voice and respond to the community’s vision for our collective future,” said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “The Knight Green Line Challenge is community engagement at its best.”

The Knight Green Line Challenge is Knight Foundation’s newest effort to invest in the success of St. Paul. Knight has provided $64 million in support to the St. Paul community since 1977. The Green Line Challenge builds on Knight’s leadership in co-founding the Central Corridor Funders Collaborative, an initiative that brings together diverse groups across sectors to build opportunity and benefit communities along the new light rail line. In January 2014 Knight also announced major new funding for the arts in St. Paul, including an expansion of the Knight Arts Challenge.

“We are proud to work with Knight Foundation and the neighborhoods along the Central Corridor in this exciting opportunity,” said Carleen Rhodes, president and CEO of The Saint Paul Foundation. “The inspiration and great projects that result have the potential to continue to shape the future for this area.”

The Knight Green Line Challenge will accept applications from June 24 to July 24, 2014. For more information and instructions on how to apply, visit www.knightgreenlinechallenge.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. www.knightfoundation.org

About the Saint Paul Foundation

Since 1940, thousands of generous individuals committed to the Saint Paul area have made charitable gifts to The Saint Paul Foundation. Today, the Foundation is the state’s largest community foundation. Guided by the legacy of its earliest donors, the Foundation helps donors achieve their charitable giving goals and have long-lasting impact in the community. The Foundation is an affiliate of Minnesota Philanthropy Partners. Learn more at saintpaulfoundation.org and mnpartners.org.