A small plaza with big potential is about to get a major boost.
Southbank Partners has been awarded a Community Placemaking Grant: Streets as Places & Destinations Stations by Project for Public Spaces to improve safety and connectivity at Saratoga Plaza, a community gathering space located at Newport on the Levee.
With support from General Motors, Southbank Partners, along with two other grant recipients, will receive $100,000 in direct funding, as well as planning, implementation, and capacity-building assistance from Project for Public Spaces.
Through a Community Placemaking Grant, Project for Public Spaces will work with the nonprofit regional economic development and place management organization Southbank Partners to transform the plaza into a destination station by adding amenities and programming that connect it to surrounding streets and transportation networks.
“We are grateful to be selected for a Community Placemaking Grant,” said President & CEO of Southbank Partners Will Weber in a press release. “Saratoga Plaza will play a pivotal role in connecting people to urban mobility options while also creating an inviting gathering spot for everyday meetups. We are excited to partner with Project for Public Spaces and Newport on the Levee to transform this small urban space into a great place for all walks of life.”
Since launching in fall 2021, Project for Public Spaces’ Community Placemaking Grants have supported 22 U.S.-based nonprofits and local government agencies in partnering with communities to transform their public spaces into inclusive, vibrant places that welcome underserved community members, strengthen social connections, and enhance quality of life for all.
This new cohort of grantees was selected for “their proposed initiatives that aligned with one of two strategic focus areas,” per the release. Streets as Places aims to improve traffic safety while elevating streets as the most accessible public spaces across the United States. Destination Stations focuses on enhancing the user experience and increasing awareness of micromobility and public transit options at mobility hubs through public space amenities and programming.
“A huge thank you to Southbank Partners for their unwavering support and advocacy on our behalf—it’s through partnerships like these that we’re able to create meaningful experiences that benefit the entire community,” said General Manager at Newport on the Levee Gabriella Burch in the release. “We are truly thrilled and honored for Saratoga Plaza at Newport on the Levee to be awarded a Community Placemaking Grant. The funding and the expertise provided by Project for Public Spaces creates an incredible opportunity to reimagine this shared space.”
Starting in February 2026, Project for Public Spaces’ Placemaking team will work with grantees to engage with their communities, co-create a vision for activation, develop designs and support construction and programmatic implementation for each place.
“We are proud to welcome our new Community Placemaking Grantees and look forward to reimagining these unique places together as safer and more vibrant public destinations for everyone,” said Project for Public Spaces’ Director of Projects Elena Madison in the release. “We are deeply grateful to our sponsor General Motors for being an essential partner in our efforts to unlock the full potential of streets and transit plazas as great places for people.”
Projects are expected to be completed by November 2026.